Does not include
SvalbardSvalbard and Jan Mayen. (With the territories, it is
the 61st largest country at 385,178 square kilometers)
This percentage is for the mainland, Svalbard, and Jan Mayen. This
percentage counts glaciers as "land". It's calculated as
19,940.14/(365,246.17+19,940.14).[citation needed]
Two more TLDs have been assigned, but are not used:
.sj.sj for Svalbard
and Jan Mayen;
.bv.bv for Bouvet Island.

NorwayNorway (/ˈnɔːrweɪ/ ( listen); Norwegian: Norge
(Bokmål) or Noreg (Nynorsk); Northern Sami: Norga), officially
the Kingdom of Norway, is a sovereign state and unitary monarchy whose
territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula
plus the remote island of
Jan MayenJan Mayen and the archipelago of
Svalbard.[note 1] The Antarctic
Peter I IslandPeter I Island and the sub-Antarctic
Bouvet IslandBouvet Island are dependent territories and thus not considered part
of the Kingdom.
NorwayNorway also lays claim to a section of Antarctica
known as Queen Maud Land. Until 1814, the kingdom included the Faroe
Islands, Greenland, and Iceland. It also included
BohuslänBohuslän until
1658,
JämtlandJämtland and
HärjedalenHärjedalen until 1645,
ShetlandShetland and
OrkneyOrkney until
1468, and the
HebridesHebrides and
Isle of ManIsle of Man until 1266.
NorwayNorway has a total area of 385,252 square kilometres
(148,747 sq mi) and a population of 5,258,317 (as of January
2017).[12] The country shares a long eastern border with
SwedenSweden (1,619
km or 1,006 mi long).
NorwayNorway is bordered by
FinlandFinland and
RussiaRussia to
the north-east, and the
SkagerrakSkagerrak strait to the south, with
DenmarkDenmark on
the other side.
NorwayNorway has an extensive coastline, facing the North
AtlanticAtlantic Ocean and the Barents Sea.
King
Harald VHarald V of the Dano-German
House of GlücksburgHouse of Glücksburg is the current
King of Norway.
Erna SolbergErna Solberg became Prime Minister in 2013, and was
reelected in September, 2017.
Erna SolbergErna Solberg replaced Jens Stoltenberg
who was the Prime Minister between 2000-2001 and 2005-2013. A
constitutional monarchy,
NorwayNorway divides state power between the
Parliament, the Cabinet and the Supreme Court, as determined by the
1814 Constitution. The kingdom was established as a merger of a large
number of petty kingdoms. By the traditional count from the year 872,
the kingdom has existed continuously for 1,145 years, and the list of
Norwegian monarchs includes over sixty kings and earls.
NorwayNorway has both administrative and political subdivisions on two
levels: counties and municipalities. The
Sámi peopleSámi people have a certain
amount of self-determination and influence over traditional
territories through the Sámi Parliament and the
FinnmarkFinnmark Act. Norway
maintains close ties with both the
European UnionEuropean Union and the United
States.
NorwayNorway is a founding member of the United Nations, NATO, the
European Free Trade Association, the Council of Europe, the Antarctic
Treaty, and the Nordic Council; a member of the European Economic
Area, the WTO, and the OECD; and a part of the Schengen Area.
NorwayNorway maintains
Nordic welfare modelNordic welfare model with universal health care and a
comprehensive social security system, and Norwegian Society's values
are rooted in egalitarian ideals[13]. Defined as a The XXI century
socialism, [14], the Norwegian state owns key industrial sectors such
as oil (Statoil) or hydropower (Statkraft), having extensive reserves
of petroleum, natural gas, minerals, lumber, seafood and fresh water.
The petroleum industry accounts for around a quarter of the country's
gross domestic product (GDP).[15] On a per-capita basis,
NorwayNorway is the
world's largest producer of oil and natural gas outside the Middle
East.[16][17]
The country has the fourth-highest per capita income in the world on
the
World BankWorld Bank and
IMFIMF lists.[18] On the CIA's GDP (PPP) per capita
list (2015 estimate) which includes autonomous territories and
regions,
NorwayNorway ranks as number eleven.[19] It has the world's largest
sovereign wealth fund, with a value of USD 1 trillion.[20]
NorwayNorway has
had the highest
Human Development IndexHuman Development Index ranking in the world since
2009, a position also held previously between 2001 and 2006.[21] It
also has the highest inequality-adjusted ranking.[22][23][24] Norway
ranks first on the World Happiness Report,[25] the
OECDOECD Better Life
Index, the Index of Public Integrity, and the
DemocracyDemocracy Index.[26]
NorwayNorway also has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. [27]

Contents

1 Etymology
2 History

2.1 Prehistory
2.2
BronzeBronze Age
2.3
IronIron Age
2.4 Migration period
2.5
VikingViking Age
2.6 Civil war and Empire
2.7 Kalmar Union
2.8 Union with Denmark
2.9 Union with Sweden
2.10 Dissolution of the union
2.11 First and Second World Wars
2.12 Post-
World War IIWorld War II history

Opening of Ohthere's
Old EnglishOld English account, translated: "Ohthere told
his lord Ælfrede king that he lived northmost of all Norwegians…"

NorwayNorway has two official names: Norge in
BokmålBokmål and Noreg in Nynorsk.
The English name
NorwayNorway comes from the
Old EnglishOld English word Norþweg
mentioned in 880, meaning "northern way" or "way leading to the
north", which is how the Anglo-Saxons referred to the coastline of
atlantic Norway.[28][29] The Anglo-Saxons of Britain also referred to
the kingdom of
NorwayNorway in 880 as Norðmanna land.[28][29]
There is some disagreement about whether the native name of Norway
originally had the same etymology as the English form. According to
the traditional undisputed view, the first component was originally
norðr, a cognate of English north, so the full name was Norðr vegr,
"the way northwards", referring to the sailing route along the
Norwegian coast, and contrasting with suðrvegar "southern way" (from
Old NorseOld Norse suðr) for Germany, and austrvegr "eastern way" (from austr)
for the Baltic.[30]
According to another theory, the first component was a word nór,
meaning "narrow" or "northern", referring to the inner-archipelago
sailing route through the land ("narrow way"). The interpretation as
"northern", as reflected in the English and
LatinLatin forms of the name,
would then have been due to later folk etymology. This latter view
originated with philologist Niels Halvorsen Trønnes in 1847; since
2016 it as also advocated by language student and activist Klaus Johan
Myrvoll and was adopted by philology professor Michael
Schulte.[28][29] The form Nore is still used in placenames such as the
village of Nore and lake
NorefjordenNorefjorden in
BuskerudBuskerud county, and still has
the same meaning.[28][29] Among other arguments in favour of the
theory, it is pointed out that the word has a long vowel in Skaldic
poetry and is not attested with <ð> in any native Norse texts
or inscriptions (the earliest runic attestations have the spellings
nuruiak and nuriki). This resurrected theory has received some
pushback by other scholars on various grounds, e. g. the
uncontroversial presence of the element norðr in the ethnonym
norðrmaðr "Norseman, Norwegian person" (modern Norwegian nordmann),
and the adjective norrǿnn "northern, Norse, Norwegian", as well as
the very early attestations of the
LatinLatin and
Anglo-SaxonAnglo-Saxon forms with
<th>.[30][29]
In a
LatinLatin manuscript of 849, the name Northuagia is mentioned, while
a French chronicle of c. 900 uses the names Northwegia and
Norwegia.[31] When
Ohthere of HålogalandOhthere of Hålogaland visited King Alfred the
Great in
EnglandEngland in the end of the ninth century, the land was called
Norðwegr (lit. "Northway") and norðmanna land (lit. "Northmen's
land").[31] The adjective Norwegian, recorded from c. 1600, is derived
from the latinisation of the name as Norwegia; in the adjective
Norwegian, the
Old EnglishOld English spelling '-weg' has survived.[citation
needed]
Old NorseOld Norse norðmaðr was Latinized as Nortmannus in the ninth century
to mean "Norseman" and also "Viking", giving rise to the name of the
Normans.[32] After
NorwayNorway had become Christian, Noregr and Noregi had
become the most common forms, but during the 15th century, the newer
forms Noreg(h) and Norg(h)e, found in medieval Icelandic manuscripts,
took over and have survived until the modern day.[citation needed]
History
Main articles:
History of NorwayHistory of Norway and History of Scandinavia
Prehistory
Main article: Scandinavian prehistory

The first inhabitants were the
Ahrensburg cultureAhrensburg culture (11th to 10th
millennia BC), which was a late
Upper PaleolithicUpper Paleolithic culture during the
Younger Dryas, the last period of cold at the end of the Weichsel
glaciation. The culture is named after the village of Ahrensburg,
25 km (15.53 mi) north-east of Hamburg in the German state
of Schleswig-Holstein, where wooden arrow shafts and clubs have been
excavated.[33] The earliest traces of human occupation in
NorwayNorway are
found along the coast, where the huge ice shelf of the last ice age
first melted between 11,000 and 8,000 BC. The oldest finds are stone
tools dating from 9,500 to 6,000 BC, discovered in
FinnmarkFinnmark (Komsa
culture) in the north and
RogalandRogaland (Fosna culture) in the south-west.
However, theories about two altogether different cultures (the Komsa
culture north of the
Arctic CircleArctic Circle being one and the Fosna culture
from
TrøndelagTrøndelag to
OslofjordOslofjord being the other) were rendered obsolete
in the 1970s.
More recent finds along the entire coast revealed to archaeologists
that the difference between the two can simply be ascribed to
different types of tools and not to different cultures. Coastal fauna
provided a means of livelihood for fishermen and hunters, who may have
made their way along the southern coast about 10,000 BC when the
interior was still covered with ice. It is now thought that these
so-called "Arctic" peoples came from the south and followed the coast
northward considerably later.
In the southern part of the country are dwelling sites dating from
about 5,000 BC. Finds from these sites give a clearer idea of the life
of the hunting and fishing peoples. The implements vary in shape and
mostly are made of different kinds of stone; those of later periods
are more skilfully made.
Rock carvingsRock carvings (i.e. petroglyphs) have been
found, usually near hunting and fishing grounds. They represent game
such as deer, reindeer, elk, bears, birds, seals, whales, and fish
(especially salmon and halibut), all of which were vital to the way of
life of the coastal peoples. The carvings at Alta in Finnmark, the
largest in Scandinavia, were made at sea level from 4,200 to 500 BC
and mark the progression of the land as the sea rose after the last
ice age ended (
Rock carvingsRock carvings at Alta).
BronzeBronze Age
Main article: Nordic
BronzeBronze Age

Between 3000 and 2500 BC, new settlers (Corded Ware culture) arrived
in eastern Norway. They were Indo-European farmers who grew grain and
kept cows and sheep. The hunting-fishing population of the west coast
was also gradually replaced by farmers, though hunting and fishing
remained useful secondary means of livelihood.
From about 1500 BC, bronze was gradually introduced, but the use of
stone implements continued;
NorwayNorway had few riches to barter for bronze
goods, and the few finds consist mostly of elaborate weapons and
brooches that only chieftains could afford. Huge burial cairns built
close to the sea as far north as
HarstadHarstad and also inland in the south
are characteristic of this period. The motifs of the rock carvings
differ from those typical of the Stone Age. Representations of the
Sun, animals, trees, weapons, ships, and people are all strongly
stylised.
Thousands of rock carvings from this period depict ships, and the
large stone burial monuments known as stone ships, suggest that ships
and seafaring played an important role in the culture at large. The
depicted ships, most likely represent sewn plank built canoes used for
warfare, fishing and trade. These ship types may have their origin as
far back as the neolithic period and they continue into the Pre-Roman
IronIron Age, as exemplified by the Hjortspring boat.[34]
IronIron Age
Main article:
Iron AgeIron Age Scandinavia
Little has been found dating from the early
Iron AgeIron Age (the last 500
years BC). The dead were cremated, and their graves contain few burial
goods. During the first four centuries AD the people of
NorwayNorway were in
contact with Roman-occupied Gaul. About 70 Roman bronze cauldrons,
often used as burial urns, have been found. Contact with the civilised
countries farther south brought a knowledge of runes; the oldest known
Norwegian runic inscription dates from the 3rd century. At this time,
the amount of settled area in the country increased, a development
that can be traced by coordinated studies of topography, archaeology,
and place-names. The oldest root names, such as nes, vik, and bø
("cape," "bay," and "farm"), are of great antiquity, dating perhaps
from the
BronzeBronze Age, whereas the earliest of the groups of compound
names with the suffixes vin ("meadow") or heim ("settlement"), as in
Bjǫrgvin (Bergen) or Sǿheim (Seim), usually date from the 1st
century AD.
Archaeologists first made the decision to divide the
Iron AgeIron Age of
Northern
EuropeEurope into distinct pre-Roman and Roman
IronIron Ages after Emil
Vedel unearthed a number of
Iron AgeIron Age artefacts in 1866 on the island
of Bornholm.[35] They did not exhibit the same permeating Roman
influence seen in most other artefacts from the early centuries AD,
indicating that parts of northern
EuropeEurope had not yet come into contact
with the Romans at the beginning of the
IronIron Age.
Migration period
Main article: Migration period
See also: Petty kingdoms of Norway

The destruction of the
Western Roman EmpireWestern Roman Empire by the
Germanic peoplesGermanic peoples in
the 5th century is characterised by rich finds, including tribal
chiefs' graves containing magnificent weapons and gold
objects.[citation needed] Hill forts were built on precipitous rocks
for defence. Excavation has revealed stone foundations of farmhouses
18 to 27 metres (59 to 89 ft) long—one even 46 metres (151
feet) long—the roofs of which were supported on wooden posts. These
houses were family homesteads where several generations lived
together, with people and cattle under one roof.[citation needed]
These states were based on either clans or tribes (e.g., the
Horder of
HordalandHordaland in western Norway). By the 9th century, each of these small
states had things (local or regional assemblies),[citation needed] for
negotiating and settling disputes. The thing meeting places, each
eventually with a hörgr (open-air sanctuary) or a heathen hof
(temple; literally "hill"), were usually situated on the oldest and
best farms, which belonged to the chieftains and wealthiest farmers.
The regional things united to form even larger units: assemblies of
deputy yeomen from several regions. In this way, the lagting
(assemblies for negotiations and lawmaking) developed. The Gulating
had its meeting place by
SognefjordSognefjord and may have been the centre of an
aristocratic confederation[citation needed] along the western fjords
and islands called the Gulatingslag. The Frostating was the assembly
for the leaders in the
TrondheimsfjordTrondheimsfjord area; the Earls of Lade, near
Trondheim, seem to have enlarged the Frostatingslag by adding the
coastland from
RomsdalsfjordRomsdalsfjord to Lofoten.[citation needed]
VikingViking Age
Main article:
VikingViking Age
See also:
Unification of NorwayUnification of Norway and Hereditary Kingdom of Norway

From the 8th to the 10th century, the wider Scandinavian region was
the source of Vikings. The looting of the monastery at
LindisfarneLindisfarne in
Northeast
EnglandEngland in 793 by Norse people has long been regarded as the
event which marked the beginning of the
VikingViking Age.[36] This age was
characterised by expansion and emigration by
VikingViking seafarers. They
colonised, raided, and traded in all parts of Europe. Norwegian Viking
explorers first discovered
IcelandIceland by accident in the 9th century when
heading for the Faroe Islands, and eventually came across Vinland,
known today as Newfoundland, in Canada. The Vikings from
NorwayNorway were
most active in the northern and western
British IslesBritish Isles and eastern
North AmericaNorth America isles.[37]
According to tradition,
Harald FairhairHarald Fairhair unified them into one in 872
after the
Battle of HafrsfjordBattle of Hafrsfjord in Stavanger, thus becoming the first
king of a united Norway.[38] Harald's realm was mainly a South
Norwegian coastal state. Fairhair ruled with a strong hand and
according to the sagas, many
NorwegiansNorwegians left the country to live in
Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and parts of Britain and
Ireland. The modern-day Irish cities of Dublin,
LimerickLimerick and Waterford
were founded by Norwegian settlers.[39]

Norwegian, Danish and Swedish expansion during the
VikingViking age between
800–1050

Norse traditions were slowly replaced by Christian ones in the late
10th and early 11th centuries. One of the most important sources for
the history of the 11th century Vikings is the treaty between the
Icelanders and Olaf Haraldsson, king of
NorwayNorway circa 1015 to 1028.[40]
This is largely attributed to the missionary kings Olav Tryggvasson
and St. Olav. Haakon the Good was Norway's first Christian king, in
the mid-10th century, though his attempt to introduce the religion was
rejected. Born sometime in between 963–969, Olav Tryggvasson set off
raiding in
EnglandEngland with 390 ships. He attacked
LondonLondon during this
raiding. Arriving back in
NorwayNorway in 995, Olav landed in Moster. There
he built a church which became the first Christian church ever built
in Norway. From Moster, Olav sailed north to
TrondheimTrondheim where he was
proclaimed
King of NorwayKing of Norway by the Eyrathing in 995.[41]
FeudalismFeudalism never really developed in
NorwayNorway or Sweden, as it did in the
rest of Europe. However, the administration of government took on a
very conservative feudal character. The
Hanseatic LeagueHanseatic League forced the
royalty to cede to them greater and greater concessions over foreign
trade and the economy. The League had this hold over the royalty
because of the loans the Hansa had made to the royalty and the large
debt the kings were carrying. The League's monopolistic control over
the economy of
NorwayNorway put pressure on all classes, especially the
peasantry, to the degree that no real burgher class existed in
Norway.[42]
Civil war and Empire
Main article: Norwegian Empire
See also:
Greater NorwayGreater Norway and Civil war era in Norway

Norwegian Kingdom at its greatest extent, 1200s

From the 1040s to 1130 the country was at peace.[43] In 1130 the civil
war era broke out on the basis of unclear succession laws, which
allowed all the king's sons to rule jointly. For periods there could
be peace, before a lesser son allied himself with a chieftain and
started a new conflict. The
Archdiocese of NidarosArchdiocese of Nidaros was created in 1152
and attempted to control the appointment of kings.[44] The church
inevitably had to take sides in the conflicts, with the civil wars
also becoming an issue regarding the church's influence of the king.
The wars ended in 1217 with the appointment of Håkon Håkonsson, who
introduced clear law of succession.[45]
From 1000 to 1300 the population increased from 150,000 to 400,000,
resulting both in more land being cleared and the subdivision of
farms. While in the
VikingViking Age all farmers owned their own land, by
1300 seventy percent of the land was owned by the king, the church, or
the aristocracy. This was a gradual process which took place because
of farmers borrowing money in poor times and not being able to repay.
However, tenants always remained free men and the large distances and
often scattered ownership meant that they enjoyed much more freedom
than continental serfs. In the 13th century about twenty percent of a
farmer's yield went to the king, church and landowners.[46]
The 14th century is described as Norway's Golden Age, with peace and
increase in trade, especially with the British Islands, although
GermanyGermany became increasingly important towards the end of the century.
Throughout the
High Middle AgesHigh Middle Ages the king established
NorwayNorway as a
sovereign state with a central administration and local
representatives.[47]
In 1349 the
Black DeathBlack Death spread to
NorwayNorway and had within a year killed
a third of the population. Later plagues reduced the population to
half the starting point by 1400. Many communities were entirely wiped
out, resulting in an abundance of land, allowing farmers to switch to
more animal husbandry. The reduction in taxes weakened the king's
position,[48] and many aristocrats lost the basis for their surplus,
reducing some to mere farmers. High tithes to church made it
increasingly powerful and the archbishop became a member of the
Council of State.[49]

The
Hanseatic LeagueHanseatic League took control over Norwegian trade during the 14th
century and established a trading center in Bergen. In 1380 Olaf
Haakonsson inherited both the Norwegian and Danish thrones, creating a
union between the two countries.[49] In 1397, under Margaret I, the
Kalmar UnionKalmar Union was created between the three Scandinavian countries. She
waged war against the Germans, resulting in a trade blockade and
higher taxation on Norwegians, which resulted in a rebellion. However,
the
Norwegian Council of StateNorwegian Council of State was too weak to pull out of the
union.[50]
Margaret pursued a centralising policy which inevitably favoured
Denmark, because it had a greater population than
NorwayNorway and Sweden
combined.[51] Margaret also granted trade privileges to the Hanseatic
merchants of
LübeckLübeck in
BergenBergen in return for recognition of her right
to rule, and these hurt the Norwegian economy. The Hanseatic merchants
formed a state within a state in
BergenBergen for generations.[52] Even
worse were the pirates, the "Victual Brothers", who launched three
devastating raids on the port (the last in 1427).[53]
NorwayNorway slipped ever more to the background under the Oldenburg dynasty
(established 1448). There was one revolt under
Knut AlvssonKnut Alvsson in
1502.[54]
NorwegiansNorwegians had some affection for King Christian II, who
resided in the country for several years.
NorwayNorway took no part in the
events which led to Swedish independence from
DenmarkDenmark in the
1520s.[55]
Kalmar Union
Main article: Kalmar Union
Upon the death of Haakon V (King of Norway) in 1319, Magnus Erikson,
at just three years old, inherited the throne as King Magnus VII of
Norway. At the same time, a movement to make Magnus King of Sweden
proved successful, and both the kings of
SwedenSweden and of
DenmarkDenmark were
elected to the throne by their respective nobles, Thus, with his
election to the throne of Sweden, both
SwedenSweden and
NorwayNorway were united
under King Magnus VII.[56]
In 1349, the
Black DeathBlack Death radically altered Norway, killing between 50%
and 60% of its population[57] and leaving it in a period of social and
economic decline.[58] The plague left
NorwayNorway very poor. Although the
death rate was comparable with the rest of Europe, economic recovery
took much longer because of the small, scattered population.[58] Even
before the plague, the population was only about 500,000.[59] After
the plague, many farms lay idle while the population slowly
increased.[58] However, the few surviving farms' tenants found their
bargaining positions with their landlords greatly strengthened.[58]

King Magnus VII ruled
NorwayNorway until 1350, when his son, Haakon, was
placed on the throne as Haakon VI.[60] In 1363, Haakon VI married
Margaret, the daughter of King Valdemar IV of Denmark.[58] Upon the
death of Haakon VI, in 1379, his son, Olaf IV, was only 10 years
old.[58] Olaf had already been elected to the throne of
DenmarkDenmark on 3
May 1376.[58] Thus, upon Olaf's accession to the throne of Norway,
DenmarkDenmark and
NorwayNorway entered personal union.[61] Olaf's mother and
Haakon's widow, Queen Margaret, managed the foreign affairs of Denmark
and
NorwayNorway during the minority of Olaf IV.[58]
Margaret was working toward a union of
SwedenSweden with
DenmarkDenmark and Norway
by having Olaf elected to the Swedish throne. She was on the verge of
achieving this goal when Olaf IV suddenly died.[58] However, Denmark
made Margaret temporary ruler upon the death of Olaf. On 2 February
1388,
NorwayNorway followed suit and crowned Margaret.[58] Queen Margaret
knew that her power would be more secure if she were able to find a
king to rule in her place. She settled on Eric of Pomerania, grandson
of her sister. Thus at an all-Scandinavian meeting held at Kalmar,
Erik of Pomerania was crowned king of all three Scandinavian
countries. Thus, royal politics resulted in personal unions between
the Nordic countries, eventually bringing the thrones of Norway,
Denmark, and
SwedenSweden under the control of Queen Margaret when the
country entered into the Kalmar Union.
Union with Denmark
Main article: Denmark–Norway
After
SwedenSweden broke out of the
Kalmar UnionKalmar Union in 1521,
NorwayNorway tried to
follow suit,[citation needed] but the subsequent rebellion was
defeated, and
NorwayNorway remained in a union with
DenmarkDenmark until 1814, a
total of 434 years. During the national romanticism of the 19th
century, this period was by some referred to as the "400-Year Night",
since all of the kingdom's royal, intellectual, and administrative
power was centred in
CopenhagenCopenhagen in Denmark. In fact, it was a period
of great prosperity and progress for Norway, especially in terms of
shipping and foreign trade, and it also secured the country's revival
from the demographic catastrophe it suffered in the Black Death. Based
on the respective natural resources,
Denmark–NorwayDenmark–Norway was in fact a
very good match since
DenmarkDenmark supported Norway's needs for grain and
food supplies, and
NorwayNorway supplied
DenmarkDenmark with timber, metal, and
fish.

With the introduction of Protestantism in 1536, the archbishopric in
TrondheimTrondheim was dissolved, and
NorwayNorway lost its independence, and
effectually became a colony of Denmark. The Church's incomes and
possessions were instead redirected to the court in Copenhagen. Norway
lost the steady stream of pilgrims to the relics of St. Olav at the
NidarosNidaros shrine, and with them, much of the contact with cultural and
economic life in the rest of Europe.
Eventually restored as a kingdom (albeit in legislative union with
Denmark) in 1661,
NorwayNorway saw its land area decrease in the 17th
century with the loss of the provinces Båhuslen, Jemtland, and
Herjedalen to Sweden, as the result of a number of disastrous wars
with Sweden. In the north, however, its territory was increased by the
acquisition of the northern provinces of
TromsTroms and Finnmark, at the
expense of
SwedenSweden and Russia.
The famine of 1695–1696 killed roughly 10% of Norway's
population.[62] The harvest failed in
ScandinaviaScandinavia at least nine times
between 1740 and 1800, with great loss of life.[63]
Union with Sweden
Main article: United Kingdoms of
SwedenSweden and Norway
See also: Norwegian protectorate and Norwegian romantic nationalism

The 1814 constitutional assembly, painted by Oscar Wergeland

After
Denmark–NorwayDenmark–Norway was attacked by the
United KingdomUnited Kingdom at the
Battle of Copenhagen, it entered into an alliance with Napoleon, with
the war leading to dire conditions and mass starvation in 1812. As the
Danish kingdom found itself on the losing side in 1814, it was forced,
under terms of the
TreatyTreaty of Kiel, to cede
NorwayNorway to the king of
Sweden, while the old Norwegian provinces of Iceland, Greenland, and
the
Faroe IslandsFaroe Islands remained with the Danish crown.[64]
NorwayNorway took this
opportunity to declare independence, adopted a constitution based on
American and French models, and elected the Crown Prince of Denmark
and Norway, Christian Frederick, as king on 17 May 1814. This is the
famous Syttende Mai (Seventeenth of May) holiday celebrated by
NorwegiansNorwegians and Norwegian-Americans alike. Syttende Mai is also called
Norwegian Constitution Day.
Norwegian opposition to the great powers' decision to link
NorwayNorway with
SwedenSweden caused the Norwegian-Swedish War to break out as
SwedenSweden tried
to subdue
NorwayNorway by military means. As Sweden's military was not
strong enough to defeat the Norwegian forces outright, and Norway's
treasury was not large enough to support a protracted war, and as
British and Russian navies blockaded the Norwegian coast,[65] the
belligerents were forced to negotiate the Convention of Moss.
According to the terms of the convention, Christian Frederik abdicated
the Norwegian throne and authorised the
Parliament of NorwayParliament of Norway to make
the necessary constitutional amendments to allow for the personal
union that
NorwayNorway was forced to accept. On 4 November 1814, the
Parliament (Storting) elected Charles XIII of
SwedenSweden as king of
Norway, thereby establishing the union with Sweden.[66] Under this
arrangement,
NorwayNorway kept its liberal constitution and its own
independent institutions, except for the foreign service. Following
the recession caused by the Napoleonic Wars, economic development of
NorwayNorway remained slow until economic growth began around 1830.[67]

Harvesting of oats in Jølster, c. 1890

This period also saw the rise of the Norwegian romantic nationalism,
as
NorwegiansNorwegians sought to define and express a distinct national
character. The movement covered all branches of culture, including
literature (
Henrik WergelandHenrik Wergeland [1808–1845], Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
[1832–1910],
Peter Christen AsbjørnsenPeter Christen Asbjørnsen [1812–1845], Jørgen Moe
[1813–1882]), painting (
Hans GudeHans Gude [1825–1903], Adolph Tidemand
[1814–1876]), music (
Edvard GriegEdvard Grieg [1843–1907]), and even language
policy, where attempts to define a native written language for Norway
led to today's two official written forms for Norwegian:
BokmålBokmål and
Nynorsk.
King Charles III John, who came to the throne of
NorwayNorway and
SwedenSweden in
1818, was the second king following Norway's break from
DenmarkDenmark and
the union with Sweden. Charles John was a complex man whose long reign
extended to 1844. He protected the constitution and liberties of
NorwayNorway and
SwedenSweden during the age of Metternich. As such, he was
regarded as a liberal monarch for that age. However, he was ruthless
in his use of paid informers, the secret police and restrictions on
the freedom of the press to put down public movements for
reform—especially the Norwegian national independence movement.[68]
The Romantic Era that followed the reign of King Charles III John
brought some significant social and political reforms. In 1854, women
won the right to inherit property in their own right, just like men.
In 1863, the last trace of keeping unmarried women in the status of
minors was removed. Furthermore, women were then eligible for
different occupations, particularly the common school teacher.[69] By
mid-century, Norway's democracy was limited by modern standards:
Voting was limited to officials, property owners, leaseholders and
burghers of incorporated towns.[70]

A Sami family in Norway, c. 1900

Still,
NorwayNorway remained a conservative society. Life in Norway
(especially economic life) was "dominated by the aristocracy of
professional men who filled most of the important posts in the central
government".[71] There was no strong bourgeosie class in
NorwayNorway to
demand a breakdown of this aristocratic control of the economy.[72]
Thus, even while revolution swept over most of the countries of Europe
in 1848,
NorwayNorway was largely unaffected by revolts that year.[72]
Marcus ThraneMarcus Thrane was a Utopian socialist. He made his appeal to the
labouring classes urging a change of social structure "from below
upwards." In 1848, he organised a labour society in Drammen. In just a
few months, this society had a membership of 500 and was publishing
its own newspaper. Within two years, 300 societies had been organised
all over Norway, with a total membership of 20,000 persons. The
membership was drawn from the lower classes of both urban and rural
areas; for the first time these two groups felt they had a common
cause.[73] In the end, the revolt was easily crushed; Thrane was
captured and in 1855, after four years in jail, was sentenced to three
additional years for crimes against the safety of the state. Upon his
release,
Marcus ThraneMarcus Thrane attempted unsuccessfully to revitalise his
movement, but after the death of his wife, he migrated to the United
States.[74]
In 1898, all men were granted universal suffrage, followed by all
women in 1913.

A bride from Hardanger, c. 1900

Dissolution of the union
Main articles: Union dissolution referendum and Dissolution of the
union between
NorwayNorway and Sweden
Christian Michelsen, a shipping magnate and statesman, and Prime
Minister of
NorwayNorway from 1905 to 1907, played a central role in the
peaceful separation of
NorwayNorway from
SwedenSweden on 7 June 1905. A national
referendum confirmed the people's preference for a monarchy over a
republic. No Norwegian could legitimately claim the throne because
none was able to prove relationship to medieval royalty and in
European tradition royal or "blue" blood is a precondition for laying
claim to the throne.
The government offered the throne of
NorwayNorway to a prince of the
Dano-German royal house of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.
Prince Carl of
DenmarkDenmark was unanimously elected king by the Norwegian
Parliament, the first king of a fully independent
NorwayNorway in 508 years
(1397: Kalmar Union); he took the name Haakon VII. In 1905, the
country welcomed the prince from neighbouring Denmark, his wife Maud
of Wales and their young son to re-establish Norway's royal house.
Following centuries of close ties between
NorwayNorway and Denmark, a prince
from the latter was the obvious choice for a European prince who could
best relate to the Norwegian people.
First and Second World Wars
See also: German occupation of Norway, Reichskommissariat Norwegen,
and Quisling regime

Throughout the First World War,
NorwayNorway was in principle a neutral
country. In reality, however,
NorwayNorway had been pressured by the British
to hand over increasingly large parts of its large merchant fleet to
the British at low rates, as well as to join the trade blockade
against Germany. Norwegian merchant marine ships, often with Norwegian
sailors still on board, were then sailing under the British flag and
at risk of being sunk by German submarines. Thus, many Norwegian
sailors and ships were lost. Thereafter, the world ranking of the
Norwegian merchant navy fell from fourth place to sixth in the
world.[75]
NorwayNorway also proclaimed its neutrality during the Second World War, but
despite this, it was invaded by German forces on 9 April 1940.
Although
NorwayNorway was unprepared for the German surprise attack (see:
Battle of Drøbak Sound, Norwegian Campaign, and
InvasionInvasion of Norway),
military and naval resistance lasted for two months. Norwegian armed
forces in the north launched an offensive against the German forces in
the Battles of Narvik, until they were forced to surrender on 10 June
after losing British support which had been diverted to
FranceFrance during
the German invasion of France.
King Haakon and the Norwegian government escaped to
RotherhitheRotherhithe in
London. Throughout the war they sent inspirational radio speeches and
supported clandestine military actions in
NorwayNorway against the Germans.
On the day of the invasion, the leader of the small National-Socialist
party Nasjonal Samling, Vidkun Quisling, tried to seize power, but was
forced by the German occupiers to step aside. Real power was wielded
by the leader of the German occupation authority, Reichskommissar
Josef Terboven. Quisling, as minister president, later formed a
collaborationist government under German control. Up to 15,000
NorwegiansNorwegians volunteered to fight in German units, including the
Waffen-SS.[76]

The fraction of the Norwegian population that supported
GermanyGermany was
traditionally smaller than in Sweden, but greater than is generally
appreciated today.[citation needed] It included a number of prominent
personalities such as Knut Hamsun. The concept of a "Germanic Union"
of member states fit well into their thoroughly nationalist-patriotic
ideology.
Many
NorwegiansNorwegians and persons of Norwegian descent joined the Allied
forces as well as the Free Norwegian Forces. In June 1940, a small
group had left
NorwayNorway following their king to Britain. This group
included 13 ships, five aircraft, and 500 men from the Royal Norwegian
Navy. By the end of the war, the force had grown to 58 ships and 7,500
men in service in the Royal Norwegian Navy, 5 squadrons of aircraft
(including Spitfires, Sunderland flying boats and Mosquitos) in the
newly formed Norwegian Air Force, and land forces including the
Norwegian Independent Company 1Norwegian Independent Company 1 and 5 Troop as well as No. 10
Commandos.[citation needed]
During the five years of German occupation,
NorwegiansNorwegians built a
resistance movement which fought the German occupation forces with
both civil disobedience and armed resistance including the destruction
of Norsk Hydro's heavy water plant and stockpile of heavy water at
Vemork, which crippled the German nuclear programme (see: Norwegian
heavy water sabotage). More important to the Allied war effort,
however, was the role of the Norwegian Merchant Marine. At the time of
the invasion,
NorwayNorway had the 4th largest merchant marine fleet in the
world. It was led by the Norwegian shipping company
NortrashipNortraship under
the Allies throughout the war and took part in every war operation
from the evacuation of Dunkirk to the Normandy landings. Each December
NorwayNorway gives a
Christmas treeChristmas tree to the
United KingdomUnited Kingdom as thanks for the
British assistance during the Second World War. A ceremony takes place
to erect the tree in London's Trafalgar Square.[77]
Post-
World War IIWorld War II history
From 1945 to 1962, the Labour Party held an absolute majority in the
parliament. The government, led by prime minister Einar Gerhardsen,
embarked on a program inspired by Keynesian economics, emphasising
state financed industrialisation and co-operation between trade unions
and employers' organisations. Many measures of state control of the
economy imposed during the war were continued, although the rationing
of dairy products was lifted in 1949, while price control and
rationing of housing and cars continued as long as until 1960.

Since the 1980s oil production has helped to expand the Norwegian
economy and finance the Norwegian state.

The wartime alliance with the
United KingdomUnited Kingdom and the
United StatesUnited States was
continued in the post-war years. Although pursuing the goal of a
socialist economy, the Labour Party distanced itself from the
Communists (especially after the Communists' seizure of power in
CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia in 1948), and strengthened its foreign policy and
defence policy ties with the US.
NorwayNorway received
Marshall PlanMarshall Plan aid
from the
United StatesUnited States starting in 1947, joined the Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OEEC) one year later, and
became a founding member of the North
AtlanticAtlanticTreatyTreaty Organization
(NATO) in 1949.
The first oil was discovered at the small Balder field in 1967,
production only began in 1999.[78] In 1969, the Phillips Petroleum
Company discovered petroleum resources at the Ekofisk field west of
Norway. In 1973, the Norwegian government founded the State oil
company, Statoil.
OilOil production did not provide net income until the
early 1980s because of the large capital investment that was required
to establish the country's petroleum industry. Around 1975, both the
proportion and absolute number of workers in industry peaked. Since
then labour-intensive industries and services like factory mass
production and shipping have largely been outsourced.
NorwayNorway was a founding member of the European Free Trade Association
(EFTA).
NorwayNorway was twice invited to join the European Union, but
ultimately declined to join after referendums which failed by narrow
margins in 1972 and 1994.[79]

Town Hall Square in
OsloOslo filled with people with roses mourning the
victims of the
UtøyaUtøya massacre, 22 July 2011

In 1981, a Conservative government led by
Kåre WillochKåre Willoch replaced the
Labour Party with a policy of stimulating the stagflated economy with
tax cuts, economic liberalisation, deregulation of markets, and
measures to curb record-high inflation (13.6% in 1981).
Norway's first female prime minister,
Gro Harlem BrundtlandGro Harlem Brundtland of the
Labour party, continued many of the reforms of her conservative
predecessor, while backing traditional Labour concerns such as social
security, high taxes, the industrialisation of nature, and feminism.
By the late 1990s,
NorwayNorway had paid off its foreign debt and had
started accumulating a sovereign wealth fund. Since the 1990s, a
divisive question in politics has been how much of the income from
petroleum production the government should spend, and how much it
should save.
In 2011,
NorwayNorway suffered two terrorist attacks on the same day
conducted by
Anders Behring BreivikAnders Behring Breivik which struck the government
quarter in
OsloOslo and a summer camp of the Labour party's youth movement
at
UtøyaUtøya island, resulting in 77 deaths and 319 wounded.
The 2013 Norwegian parliamentary election brought a more conservative
government to power, with the Conservative Party and the Progress
Party winning 43% of the electorate's votes.
Geography
Main articles:
Geography of NorwayGeography of Norway and Geology of Norway

NorwayNorway comprises the western part of
ScandinaviaScandinavia in Northern Europe.
The rugged coastline, broken by huge fjords and thousands of islands,
stretches 25,000 kilometres (16,000 mi) and 83,000 kilometres
(52,000 mi).
NorwayNorway shares a 1,619-kilometre (1,006 mi) land
border with Sweden, 727 kilometres (452 mi) with Finland, and 196
kilometres (122 mi) with
RussiaRussia to the east. To the north, west
and south,
NorwayNorway is bordered by the Barents Sea, the Norwegian Sea,
the North Sea, and Skagerrak.[80] The
Scandinavian MountainsScandinavian Mountains form much
of the border with Sweden.

Norwegian lowland landscape near the Gaulosen branch of
Trondheimsfjord

At 385,252 square kilometres (148,747 sq mi) (including
SvalbardSvalbard and Jan Mayen) (and 323,802 square kilometres
(125,021 sq mi) without), much of the country is dominated
by mountainous or high terrain, with a great variety of natural
features caused by prehistoric glaciers and varied topography. The
most noticeable of these are the fjords: deep grooves cut into the
land flooded by the sea following the end of the Ice Age. Sognefjorden
is the world's second deepest fjord, and the world's longest at 204
kilometres (127 mi).
HornindalsvatnetHornindalsvatnet is the deepest lake in all
Europe.[81]
PermafrostPermafrost can be found all year in the higher mountain
areas and in the interior of
FinnmarkFinnmark county. Numerous glaciers are
found in Norway.
NorwayNorway lies between latitudes 57° and 81° N, and longitudes 4° and
32° E. The land is mostly made of hard granite and gneiss rock, but
slate, sandstone, and limestone are also common, and the lowest
elevations contain marine deposits. Because of the
Gulf StreamGulf Stream and
prevailing westerlies,
NorwayNorway experiences higher temperatures and more
precipitation than expected at such northern latitudes, especially
along the coast. The mainland experiences four distinct seasons, with
colder winters and less precipitation inland. The northernmost part
has a mostly maritime Subarctic climate, while
SvalbardSvalbard has an Arctic
tundra climate.
Because of the large latitudinal range of the country and the varied
topography and climate,
NorwayNorway has a larger number of different
habitats than almost any other European country. There are
approximately 60,000 species in
NorwayNorway and adjacent waters (excluding
bacteria and virus). The Norwegian Shelf large marine ecosystem is
considered highly productive.[82]
Climate
The southern and western parts of Norway, fully exposed to Atlantic
storm fronts, experience more precipitation and have milder winters
than the eastern and far northern parts. Areas to the east of the
coastal mountains are in a rain shadow, and have lower rain and snow
totals than the west. The lowlands around
OsloOslo have the warmest and
sunniest summers, but also cold weather and snow in
wintertime.[83][84]
Because of Norway's high latitude, there are large seasonal variations
in daylight. From late May to late July, the sun never completely
descends beneath the horizon in areas north of the
ArcticArctic Circle
(hence Norway's description as the "Land of the Midnight Sun"), and
the rest of the country experiences up to 20 hours of daylight per
day. Conversely, from late November to late January, the sun never
rises above the horizon in the north, and daylight hours are very
short in the rest of the country.
The coastal climate of
NorwayNorway is exceptionally mild compared with
areas on similar latitudes elsewhere in the world, with the Gulf
Stream passing directly offshore the northern areas of the Atlantic
coast, continuously warming the region in the winter. Temperature
anomalies found in coastal locations are exceptional, with
RøstRøst and
VærøyVærøy lacking a meteorological winter in spite of being north of the
ArcticArctic Circle. The
Gulf StreamGulf Stream has this effect only on the northern
parts of Norway, not in the south, despite what is commonly believed.
The northern coast of
NorwayNorway would thus be ice-covered if not for the
Gulf Stream.[85] As a side-effect, the
Scandinavian MountainsScandinavian Mountains prevent
continental winds from reaching the coastline, causing very cool
summers throughout
AtlanticAtlantic Norway.
OsloOslo has more of a continental
climate, similar to Sweden's. The mountain ranges have subarctic and
tundra climates. There is also very high rainfall in areas exposed to
the Atlantic, such as Bergen. Oslo, in comparison, is dry, being in a
rain shadow.
SkjåkSkjåk in
OpplandOppland county is also in the rain shadow and
is one of the driest places with 278 millimetres (10.9 inches)
precipitation annually.
FinnmarksviddaFinnmarksvidda and the interior valleys of
TromsTroms and
NordlandNordland also receive less than 300 millimetres (12 inches)
annually. Longyearbyen is the driest place in
NorwayNorway with 190
millimetres (7.5 inches).[86]
Parts of southeastern
NorwayNorway including parts of
MjøsaMjøsa have
warm-summer humid continental climates (Köppen Dfb), while the more
southern and western coasts are mostly of the oceanic climate (Cfb).
Further inland in southeastern and northern Norway, the subarctic
climate (Dfc) dominates; this is especially true for areas in the rain
shadow of the Scandinavian Mountains. Some of the inner valleys of
OpplandOppland get so little precipitation annually, thanks to the rain
shadow effect, that they meet the requirements for dry-summer
subarctic climates (Dsc). In higher altitudes, close to the coasts of
southern and western Norway, one can find the rare subpolar oceanic
climate (Cfc). This climate is also common in Northern Norway, but
there usually in lower altitudes, all the way down to sea level. A
small part of the northernmost coast of
NorwayNorway has the
tundra/alpine/polar climate (ET). Large parts of
NorwayNorway are covered by
mountains and high altitude plateaus, many of which also exhibit the
tundra/alpine/polar climate (ET).[83][87][88][84][89]

The
ArcticArctic fox has its habitat in high elevation ranges on the
mainland as well as on Svalbard.

The total number of species include 16,000 species of insects
(probably 4,000 more species yet to be described), 20,000 species of
algae, 1,800 species of lichen, 1,050 species of mosses, 2,800 species
of vascular plants, up to 7,000 species of fungi, 450 species of birds
(250 species nesting in Norway), 90 species of mammals, 45 fresh-water
species of fish, 150 salt-water species of fish, 1,000 species of
fresh-water invertebrates, and 3,500 species of salt-water
invertebrates.[95] About 40,000 of these species have been described
by science. The red list of 2010 encompasses 4,599 species.[96]

Seventeen species are listed mainly because they are endangered on a
global scale, such as the European beaver, even if the population in
NorwayNorway is not seen as endangered. The number of threatened and
near-threatened species equals to 3,682; it includes 418 fungi
species, many of which are closely associated with the small remaining
areas of old-growth forests,[97] 36 bird species, and 16 species of
mammals. In 2010, 2,398 species were listed as endangered or
vulnerable; of these were 1250 listed as vulnerable (VU), 871 as
endangered (EN), and 276 species as critically endangered (CR), among
which were the grey wolf, the
ArcticArctic fox (healthy population on
Svalbard) and the pool frog.[96]
The largest predator in Norwegian waters is the sperm whale, and the
largest fish is the basking shark. The largest predator on land is the
polar bear, while the brown bear is the largest predator on the
Norwegian mainland. The largest land animal on the mainland is the elk
(American English: moose). The elk in
NorwayNorway is known for its size and
strength and is often called skogens konge, "king of the forest".
Environment
Attractive and dramatic scenery and landscape are found throughout
Norway.[98] The west coast of southern
NorwayNorway and the coast of
northern
NorwayNorway present some of the most visually impressive coastal
sceneries in the world. National Geographic has listed the Norwegian
fjords as the world's top tourist attraction.[99] The country is also
home to the natural phenomena of the
Midnight sunMidnight sun (during summer), as
well as the
AuroraAurora borealis known also as the Northern lights.[100]
The 2016
Environmental Performance Index from Yale University,
Columbia UniversityColumbia University and the
World Economic ForumWorld Economic Forum put
NorwayNorway in
seventeenth place, immediately below
CroatiaCroatia and Switzerland.[101] The
index is based on environmental risks to human health, habitat loss,
and changes in CO2 emissions. The index notes over-exploitation of
fisheries, but not Norway's whaling or oil exports.[102]

A summer evening view from Sande over
LovatnetLovatnet in Stryn, Sogn og
Fjordane, in 2013

NorwayNorway is considered to be one of the most developed democracies and
states of justice in the world. From 1814, c. 45% of men (25 years and
older) had the right to vote, whereas the
United KingdomUnited Kingdom had c. 20%
(1832),
SwedenSweden c. 5% (1866), and
BelgiumBelgium c. 1.15% (1840). Since 2010,
NorwayNorway has been classified as the world's most democratic country by
the
DemocracyDemocracy Index.[103][104][105]
According to the Constitution of Norway, which was adopted on 17 May
1814[106] and inspired by the
United StatesUnited States Declaration of
Independence and
French RevolutionFrench Revolution of 1776 and 1789, respectively,
NorwayNorway is a unitary constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary
system of government, wherein the
King of NorwayKing of Norway is the head of state
and the Prime Minister is the head of government. Power is separated
among the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government,
as defined by the Constitution, which serves as the country's supreme
legal document.
The Monarch officially retains executive power. However, following the
introduction of a parliamentary system of government, the duties of
the Monarch have since become strictly representative and
ceremonial,[107] such as the formal appointment and dismissal of the
Prime Minister and other ministers in the executive government.
Accordingly, the Monarch is commander-in-chief of the Norwegian Armed
Forces, and serves as chief diplomatic official abroad and as a symbol
of unity.
Harald VHarald V of the House of
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg was crowned King of Norway
in 1991, the first since the 14th century who has been born in the
country.[108] Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway, is the legal and
rightful heir to the throne and the Kingdom.
In practice, the Prime Minister exercises the executive powers.
Constitutionally, legislative power is vested with both the government
and the Parliament of Norway, but the latter is the supreme
legislature and a unicameral body.[109]
NorwayNorway is fundamentally
structured as a representative democracy. The Parliament can pass a
law by simple majority of the 169 representatives, who are elected on
the basis of proportional representation from 19 constituencies for
four-year terms.
150 are elected directly from the 19 constituencies, and an additional
19 seats ("levelling seats") are allocated on a nationwide basis to
make the representation in parliament correspond better with the
popular vote for the political parties. A 4% election threshold is
required for a party to gain levelling seats in Parliament.[110] There
are a total of 169 Members of Parliament.
The Parliament of Norway, called the Stortinget (meaning Grand
Assembly), ratifies national treaties developed by the executive
branch. It can impeach members of the government if their acts are
declared unconstitutional. If an indicted suspect is impeached,
Parliament has the power to remove the person from office.
The position of Prime Minister, Norway's head of government, is
allocated to the Member of Parliament who can obtain the confidence of
a majority in Parliament, usually the current leader of the largest
political party or, more effectively, through a coalition of parties.
A single party generally does not have sufficient political power in
terms of the number of seats to form a government on its own. Norway
has often been ruled by minority governments.
The Prime Minister nominates the Cabinet, traditionally drawn from
members of the same political party or parties in the Storting, making
up the government. The PM organises the executive government and
exercises its power as vested by the Constitution.[111]
NorwayNorway has a
state church, the
LutheranLutheran Church of Norway, which has in recent years
gradually been granted more internal autonomy in day-to-day affairs,
but which still has a special constitutional status. Formerly, the PM
had to have more than half the members of Cabinet be members of the
Church of Norway, meaning at least ten out of the 19 ministries. This
rule was however removed in 2012. The issue of separation of church
and state in
NorwayNorway has been increasingly controversial, as many
people believe it is time to change this, to reflect the growing
diversity in the population. A part of this is the evolution of the
public school subject Christianity, a required subject since 1739.
Even the state's loss in a battle at the European Court of Human
Rights at Strasbourg[112] in 2007 did not settle the matter. As of 1
January 2017, the
Church of NorwayChurch of Norway is a separate legal entity, and no
longer a branch of the civil service.[113]
Through the Council of State, a privy council presided over by the
Monarch, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet meet at the Royal Palace
and formally consult the Monarch. All government bills need the formal
approval by the Monarch before and after introduction to Parliament.
The Council reviews and approves all of the Monarch's actions as head
of state. Although all government and parliamentary acts are decided
beforehand, the privy council is an example of symbolic gesture the
King retains.[108]
Members of the
StortingStorting are directly elected from party-lists
proportional representation in nineteen plural-member constituencies
in a national multi-party system.[114] Historically, both the
Norwegian Labour PartyNorwegian Labour Party and Conservative Party have played leading
political roles. In the early 21st century, the Labour Party has been
in power since the 2005 election, in a
Red-Green CoalitionRed-Green Coalition with the
Socialist Left Party and the Centre Party.[115]
Since 2005, both the Conservative Party and the Progress Party have
won numerous seats in the Parliament, but not sufficient in the 2009
general election to overthrow the coalition. Commentators have pointed
to the poor co-operation between the opposition parties, including the
Liberals and the Christian Democrats. Jens Stoltenberg, the leader of
the Labour Party, continues to have the necessary majority through his
multi-party alliance to continue as PM.[116]
In national elections in September 2013, voters ended eight years of
Labor rule. Two political parties,
HøyreHøyre and Fremskrittspartiet,
elected on promises of tax cuts, more spending on infrastructure and
education, better services and stricter rules on immigration, formed a
government. Coming at a time when Norway's economy is in good
condition with low unemployment, the rise of the right appeared to be
based on other issues.
Erna SolbergErna Solberg became prime minister, the second
female prime minister after Brundtland and the first conservative
prime minister since Syse. Solberg said her win was "a historic
election victory for the right-wing parties".[117]
Administrative divisions
Main articles: Administrative divisions of Norway, Counties of Norway,
Municipalities of Norway, List of towns and cities in Norway, and
Dependencies of Norway
See also:
SápmiSápmi (area)
Norway, a unitary state, is divided into eighteen first-level
administrative counties (fylke). The counties are administrated
through directly elected county assemblies who elect the County
Governor. Additionally, the King and government are represented in
every county by a fylkesmann, who effectively acts as a Governor.[118]
As such, the Government is directly represented at a local level
through the
CountyCounty Governors' offices. The counties are then
sub-divided into 422 second-level municipalities (kommuner), which in
turn are administrated by directly elected municipal council, headed
by a mayor and a small executive cabinet. The capital of
OsloOslo is
considered both a county and a municipality.
NorwayNorway has two integral overseas territories:
Jan MayenJan Mayen and Svalbard,
the only developed island in the archipelago of the same name, located
miles away to the north. There are three Antarctic and Subantarctic
dependencies: Bouvet Island, Peter I Island, and Queen Maud Land. On
most maps, there had been an unclaimed area between Queen Maud Land
and the
South PoleSouth Pole until 12 June 2015 when
NorwayNorway formally annexed
that area.[119]

A geopolitical map of Norway, showing the 19 fylker, the Svalbard
(Spitsbergen) and
Jan MayenJan Mayen islands, which are part of the Norwegian
kingdom

96 settlements have city status in Norway. In most cases, the city
borders are coterminous with the borders of their respective
municipalities. Often, Norwegian city municipalities include large
areas that are not developed; for example,
OsloOslo municipality contains
large forests, located north and south-east of the city, and over half
of
BergenBergen municipality consists of mountainous areas.

Judicial system and law enforcement
Main article: Judiciary of Norway
NorwayNorway uses a civil law system where laws are created and amended in
Parliament and the system regulated through the Courts of justice of
Norway. It consists of the Supreme Court of 20 permanent judges and a
Chief Justice, appellate courts, city and district courts, and
conciliation councils.[120] The judiciary is independent of executive
and legislative branches. While the Prime Minister nominates Supreme
Court Justices for office, their nomination must be approved by
Parliament and formally confirmed by the Monarch in the Council of
State. Usually, judges attached to regular courts are formally
appointed by the Monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister.
The Courts' strict and formal mission is to regulate the Norwegian
judicial system, interpret the Constitution, and as such implement the
legislation adopted by Parliament. In its judicial reviews, it
monitors the legislative and executive branches to ensure that they
comply with provisions of enacted legislation.[120]
The law is enforced in
NorwayNorway by the Norwegian Police Service. It is a
Unified National Police Service made up of 27 Police Districts and
several specialist agencies, such as Norwegian National Authority for
the Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime,
known as Økokrim; and the National Criminal Investigation Service,
known as Kripos, each headed by a chief of police. The Police Service
is headed by the National Police Directorate, which reports to the
Ministry of Justice and the Police. The Police Directorate is headed
by a National Police Commissioner. The only exception is the Norwegian
Police Security Agency, whose head answers directly to the Ministry of
Justice and the Police.
NorwayNorway abolished the death penalty for regular criminal acts in 1902.
The legislature abolished the death penalty for high treason in war
and war-crimes in 1979. Reporters Without Borders, in its 2007
Worldwide Press Freedom Index, ranked
NorwayNorway at a shared first place
(along with Iceland) out of 169 countries.[121]
In general, the legal and institutional framework in
NorwayNorway is
characterised by a high degree of transparency, accountability and
integrity, and the perception and the occurrence of corruption are
very low.[122]
NorwayNorway has ratified all relevant international
anti-corruption conventions, and its standards of implementation and
enforcement of anti-corruption legislation are considered very high by
many international anti-corruption working groups such as the OECD
Anti-Bribery Working Group. However, there are some isolated cases
showing that some municipalities have abused their position in public
procurement processes.
Norwegian prisons are humane, rather than tough, with emphasis on
rehabilitation. At 20%, Norway's re-conviction rate is among the
lowest in the world.[123]
Foreign relations
Main article: Foreign relations of Norway
See also:
NorwayNorway and the
European UnionEuropean Union and Whaling in Norway

NorwayNorway maintains embassies in 82 countries.[124] 60 countries maintain
an embassy in Norway, all of them in the capital, Oslo.
NorwayNorway is a founding member of the
United NationsUnited Nations (UN), the North
AtlanticAtlanticTreatyTreaty Organization (NATO), the Council of
EuropeEurope and the
European Free Trade AssociationEuropean Free Trade Association (EFTA).
NorwayNorway issued applications for
accession to the
European UnionEuropean Union (EU) and its predecessors in 1962,
1967 and 1992, respectively. While Denmark,
SwedenSweden and Finland
obtained membership, the Norwegian electorate rejected the treaties of
accession in referenda in 1972 and 1994.
After the 1994 referendum,
NorwayNorway maintained its membership in the
European Economic AreaEuropean Economic Area (EEA), an arrangement granting the country
access to the internal market of the Union, on the condition that
NorwayNorway implements the Union's pieces of legislation which are deemed
relevant (of which there were approximately seven thousand by
2010)[125] Successive Norwegian governments have, since 1994,
requested participation in parts of the EU's co-operation that go
beyond the provisions of the EEA agreement. Non-voting participation
by
NorwayNorway has been granted in, for instance, the Union's Common
Security and Defence Policy, the Schengen Agreement, and the European
Defence Agency, as well as 19 separate programmes.[126]
NorwayNorway contributes to international development. In addition, it
participated in the 1990s brokering of the
OsloOslo Accords, an attempt to
resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. These were unsuccessful.
Military
Main article: Norwegian Armed Forces

Health
Main article: Health in Norway
NorwayNorway was awarded first place according to the UN's Human Development
Index (HDI) for 2013.[130] In the 1800s, by contrast, poverty and
communicable diseases dominated in
NorwayNorway together with famines and
epidemics. From the 1900s, improvements in public health occurred as a
result of development in several areas such as social and living
conditions, changes in disease and medical outbreaks, establishment of
the health care system, and emphasis on public health matters.
VaccinationVaccination and increased treatment opportunities with antibiotics
resulted in great improvements within the Norwegian population.
Improved hygiene and better nutrition were factors that contributed to
improved health.
The disease pattern in
NorwayNorway changed from communicable diseases to
non-communicable diseases and chronic diseases as cardiovascular
disease. Inequalities and social differences are still present in
public health in
NorwayNorway today.[131]
In 2013 the infant mortality rate was 2.5 per 1,000 live births among
children under the age of one. For girls it was 2.7 and for boys 2.3,
which is the lowest infant mortality rate for boys ever recorded in
Norway.[132]
Economy
Main articles: Economy of Norway, Energy in Norway, European Economic
Area, and Exclusive economic zone § Norway

NorwegiansNorwegians enjoy the second-highest GDP per-capita among European
countries (after Luxembourg), and the sixth-highest GDP (PPP)
per-capita in the world. Today,
NorwayNorway ranks as the second-wealthiest
country in the world in monetary value, with the largest capital
reserve per capita of any nation.[133] According to the CIA World
Factbook,
NorwayNorway is a net external creditor of debt.[80] Norway
maintained first place in the world in the UNDP Human Development
Index (HDI) for six consecutive years (2001–2006),[10] and then
reclaimed this position in 2009, through 2015.[22] The standard of
living in
NorwayNorway is among the highest in the world. Foreign Policy
magazine ranks
NorwayNorway last in its Failed States Index for 2009,
judging
NorwayNorway to be the world's most well-functioning and stable
country. The
OECDOECD ranks
NorwayNorway fourth in the 2013 equalised Better
Life Index and third in intergenerational earnings
elasticity.[134][135]

Norway's claimed economic zones

The Norwegian economy is an example of a mixed economy, a prosperous
capitalist welfare state and social democracy country featuring a
combination of free market activity and large state ownership in
certain key sectors. Public health care in
NorwayNorway is free (after an
annual charge of around 2000 kroner for those over 16), and parents
have 46 weeks paid[136] parental leave. The state income derived from
natural resources includes a significant contribution from petroleum
production.
NorwayNorway has an unemployment rate of 4.8%, with 68% of the
population aged 15–74 employed.[137] People in the labour force are
either employed or looking for work.[138] 9.5% of the population aged
18–66 receive a disability pension[139] and 30% of the labour force
are employed by the government, the highest in the OECD.[140] The
hourly productivity levels, as well as average hourly wages in Norway,
are among the highest in the world.[141][142]
The egalitarian values of Norwegian society have kept the wage
difference between the lowest paid worker and the CEO of most
companies as much less than in comparable western economies.[143] This
is also evident in Norway's low Gini coefficient.
The state has large ownership positions in key industrial sectors,
such as the strategic petroleum sector (Statoil), hydroelectric energy
production (Statkraft), aluminium production (Norsk Hydro), the
largest Norwegian bank (DNB), and telecommunication provider
(Telenor). Through these big companies, the government controls
approximately 30% of the stock values at the
OsloOslo Stock Exchange. When
non-listed companies are included, the state has even higher share in
ownership (mainly from direct oil licence ownership).
NorwayNorway is a
major shipping nation and has the world's 6th largest merchant fleet,
with 1,412 Norwegian-owned merchant vessels.
By referendums in 1972 and 1994,
NorwegiansNorwegians rejected proposals to join
the
European UnionEuropean Union (EU). However, Norway, together with
IcelandIceland and
Liechtenstein, participates in the European Union's single market
through the
European Economic AreaEuropean Economic Area (EEA) agreement. The EEA Treaty
between the
European UnionEuropean Union countries and the EFTA countries–
transposed into Norwegian law via "EØS-loven"[144]– describes the
procedures for implementing
European UnionEuropean Union rules in
NorwayNorway and the
other EFTA countries.
NorwayNorway is a highly integrated member of most
sectors of the EU internal market. Some sectors, such as agriculture,
oil and fish, are not wholly covered by the EEA Treaty.
NorwayNorway has
also acceded to the
Schengen AgreementSchengen Agreement and several other
intergovernmental agreements among the EU member states.
The country is richly endowed with natural resources including
petroleum, hydropower, fish, forests, and minerals. Large reserves of
petroleum and natural gas were discovered in the 1960s, which led to a
boom in the economy.
NorwayNorway has obtained one of the highest standards
of living in the world in part by having a large amount of natural
resources compared to the size of the population. In 2011, 28% of
state revenues were generated from the petroleum industry.[145]
NorwayNorway is the first country which banned cutting of trees
(deforestation), in order to prevent rain forests from vanishing. The
country declared its intention at the UN Climate Summit in 2014,
alongside
Great BritainGreat Britain and Germany. Crops, that are typically linked
to forests' destruction are timber, soy, palm oil and beef. Now Norway
has to find new way to provide these essential products without
exerting negative influence on its environment.[146]
Resources

Agriculture is a significant sector, in spite of the mountainous
landscape (Flakstad)

OilOil production has been central to the Norwegian economy since the
1970s, with a dominating state ownership (Statfjord oil field)

Export revenues from oil and gas have risen to almost 50% of total
exports and constitute more than 20% of the GDP.[147]
NorwayNorway is the
fifth-largest oil exporter and third-largest gas exporter in the
world, but it is not a member of OPEC. In 1995, the Norwegian
government established the sovereign wealth fund ("Government Pension
Fund — Global"), which would be funded with oil revenues, including
taxes, dividends, sales revenues and licensing fees. This was intended
to reduce overheating in the economy from oil revenues, minimise
uncertainty from volatility in oil price, and provide a cushion to
compensate for expenses associated with the ageing of the population.
The government controls its petroleum resources through a combination
of state ownership in major operators in the oil fields (with
approximately 62% ownership in
StatoilStatoil in 2007) and the fully
state-owned Petoro, which has a market value of about twice Statoil,
and SDFI. Finally, the government controls licensing of exploration
and production of fields. The fund invests in developed financial
markets outside Norway. The budgetary rule (Handlingsregelen) is to
spend no more than 4% of the fund each year (assumed to be the normal
yield from the fund).
In March 2017, the Government Pension Fund controlled assets were
valued at approximately US$913 billion (equal to US$182,000 per
capita), which is about 178% of Norway's current GDP. It is the
largest sovereign wealth fund in the world.[148] The fund controls
about 1.3% of all listed shares in Europe, and more than 1% of all the
publicly traded shares in the world. The Norwegian Central Bank
operates investment offices in London, New York, and Shanghai.
Guidelines implemented in 2007 allow the fund to invest up to 60% of
the capital in shares (maximum of 40% prior), while the rest may be
placed in bonds and real-estate. As the stock markets tumbled in
September 2008, the fund was able to buy more shares at low prices. In
this way, the losses incurred by the market turmoil was recuperated by
November 2009.[citation needed]
Other nations with economies based on natural resources, such as
Russia, are trying to learn from
NorwayNorway by establishing similar funds.
The investment choices of the Norwegian fund are directed by ethical
guidelines; for example, the fund is not allowed to invest in
companies that produce parts for nuclear weapons. Norway's highly
transparent investment scheme is lauded by the international
community.[citation needed] The future size of the fund is closely
linked to the price of oil and to developments in international
financial markets.
In 2000, the government sold one-third of the state-owned oil company
StatoilStatoil in an IPO. The next year, the main telecom supplier, Telenor,
was listed on
OsloOslo Stock Exchange. The state also owns significant
shares of Norway's largest bank, DnB NOR and the airline SAS. Since
2000, economic growth has been rapid, pushing unemployment down to
levels not seen since the early 1980s (unemployment in 2007: 1.3%).
The international financial crisis has primarily affected the
industrial sector, but unemployment has remained low, and was at 3.3%
(86,000 people) in August 2011. In contrast to Norway,
SwedenSweden had
substantially higher actual and projected unemployment numbers as a
result of the recession. Thousands of mainly young Swedes migrated to
NorwayNorway for work during these years, which is easy, as the labour
market and social security systems overlap in the Nordic Countries. In
the first quarter of 2009, the GNP of
NorwayNorway surpassed Sweden's for
the first time in history, although its population is half the size.
NorwayNorway contains significant mineral resources, and in 2013, its
mineral production was valued at US$1.5 billion (Norwegian Geological
Survey data). The most valuable minerals are calcium carbonate
(limestone), building stone, nepheline syenite, olivine, iron,
titanium, and nickel.[149]
NorwayNorway is also the world's second-largest exporter of fish (in value,
after China).[150][151] Hydroelectric plants generate roughly 98–99%
of Norway's electric power, more than any other country in the
world.[152]
OilOil fields

External image

Decreasing oil production

Between 1966 and 2013, Norwegian companies drilled 5085 oil wells,
mostly in the North Sea.[153] Of these 3672 are utviklingsbrønner
(regular production);[153] 1413 are letebrønner (exploration); and
1405 have been terminated (avsluttet).[153]
OilOil fields not yet in production phase include: Wisting
Central—calculated size in 2013, 65–156 million barrels of oil and
10 to 40 billion cubic feet (0.28 to 1.13 billion cubic
metres), (utvinnbar) of gas.[154] and the Castberg
OilOil Field
(Castberg-feltet[154])—calculated size 540 million barrels of oil,
and 2 to 7 billion cubic feet (57 to 198 million cubic
metres) (utvinnbar) of gas.[155] Both oil fields are located in the
Barents Sea.
Transport
Main articles: Transport in Norway,
Rail transportRail transport in Norway, and List
of airports in Norway

E6 highway at Brattlikollen outskirts of Oslo

Due to the low population density, narrow shape and long coastlines of
Norway, its public transport is less developed than in many European
countries, especially outside the major cities. The country has
long-standing water transport traditions, but the Norwegian Ministry
of Transport and Communications has in recent years implemented rail,
road, and air transport through numerous subsidiaries to develop the
country's infrastructure.[156] Under discussion is development of a
new high-speed rail system between the nation's largest
cities.[157][158]
Norway's main railway network consists of 4,114 kilometres
(2,556 mi) of standard gauge lines, of which 242 kilometres
(150 mi) is double track and 64 kilometres (40 mi)
high-speed rail (210 km/h) while 62% is electrified at 15 kV
​16 2⁄3 Hz AC. The railways transported 56,827,000
passengers 2,956 million passenger-kilometres and 24,783,000 tonnes of
cargo 3,414 million tonne-kilometres.[159] The entire network is owned
by the Norwegian National Rail Administration.[160] All domestic
passenger trains except the Airport Express Train are operated by
Norges Statsbaner (NSB).[161] Several companies operate freight
trains.[162] Investment in new infrastructure and maintenance is
financed through the state budget,[160] and subsidies are provided for
passenger train operations.[163] NSB operates long-haul trains,
including night trains, regional services and four commuter train
systems, around Oslo, Trondheim,
BergenBergen and Stavanger.[164]

Visualization of
OsloOslo Airport, Gardermoen as of 2017 after the latest
expansion and renovation

NorwayNorway has approximately 92,946 kilometres (57,754 mi) of road
network, of which 72,033 kilometres (44,759 mi) are paved and 664
kilometres (413 mi) are motorway.[80] The four tiers of road
routes are national, county, municipal and private, with national and
primary county roads numbered en route. The most important national
routes are part of the European route scheme. The two most prominent
are the E6 going north-south through the entire country, and the E39,
which follows the West Coast. National and county roads are managed by
the Norwegian Public Roads Administration.[165]
NorwayNorway has the world's largest registered stock of plug-in electric
vehicles per capita.[166][167][168] In March 2014,
NorwayNorway became the
first country where over 1 in every 100 passenger cars on the roads is
a plug-in electric.[169] The plug-in electric segment market share of
new car sales is also the highest in the world.[170] According to a
report by
Dagens NæringslivDagens Næringsliv in June 2016, the country would like to
ban all gasoline and diesel powered vehicles as early as 2025.[171] In
June 2017, 42% of new cars registered were electric.[172]
Of the 97 airports in Norway,[80] 52 are public,[173] and 46 are
operated by the state-owned Avinor.[174] Seven airports have more than
one million passengers annually.[173] A total of 41,089,675 passengers
passed through Norwegian airports in 2007, of whom 13,397,458 were
international.[173]
The central gateway to
NorwayNorway by air is
OsloOslo Airport, Gardermoen.[173]
Located about 35 kilometres (22 mi) northeast of Oslo, it is hub
for the two major Norwegian airlines: Scandinavian Airlines[175] and
Norwegian Air Shuttle,[176] and for regional aircraft from Western
Norway.[177] There are departures to most European countries and some
intercontinental destinations.[178][179] A direct high-speed train
connects to
OsloOslo Central Station every 10 minutes for a 20 min ride.
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Norway

Norway's population was 5,096,300 people in October 2013. Norwegians
are an ethnic North Germanic people. Since the late 20th century,
NorwayNorway has attracted immigrants from southern and central Europe, the
Mideast, Africa, Asia and beyond.
In 2012, an official study showed that 86%[182] of the total
population have at least one parent who was born in Norway. More than
710,000 individuals (14%)[183] are immigrants and their descendants;
there are 117,000 children of immigrants, born in Norway.
Of these 710,000 immigrants and their descendants:

323,000 (39%)[183] have a Western background (Australia, North
America, elsewhere in Europe)
505,000 (61%)[183] have a non-Western background (primarily Morocco,
IraqIraq and Kurdistan federal region , Somalia,
PakistanPakistan and Iran
including Kurdistan province).

In 2013, the Norwegian government said that 14% of the Norwegian
population were immigrants or children of two immigrant parents. About
6% of the immigrant population come from EU,
North AmericaNorth America and
Australia, and about 8.1% come from Asia, Africa and Latin
America.[184]
In 2012, of the total 660,000 with immigrant background, 407,262 had
Norwegian citizenship (62.2%).[185]
Immigrants have settled in all Norwegian municipalities. The cities or
municipalities with the highest share of immigrants in 2012 were Oslo
(32%) and
DrammenDrammen (27%).[186] The share in
StavangerStavanger was 16%.[186]
According to Reuters,
OsloOslo is the "fastest growing city in Europe
because of increased immigration".[187] In recent years, immigration
has accounted for most of Norway's population growth. In 2011, 16% of
newborn children were of immigrant background.
The
Sami peopleSami people are indigenous to the Far North and have traditionally
inhabited central and northern parts of
NorwayNorway and Sweden, as well as
areas in northern
FinlandFinland and in
RussiaRussia on the Kola Peninsula. Another
national minority are the Kven people, descendants of Finnish-speaking
people who migrated to northern
NorwayNorway from the 18th up to the 20th
century. From the 19th century up to the 1970s, the Norwegian
government tried to assimilate both the Sami and the Kven, encouraging
them to adopt the majority language, culture and religion.[188]
Because of this "
Norwegianization process", many families of Sami or
Kven ancestry now identify as ethnic Norwegian.[189]
Migration

Emigration
Main articles:
Norwegian diasporaNorwegian diaspora and Norwegian Americans
Particularly in the 19th century, when economic conditions were
difficult in Norway, tens of thousands of people migrated to the
United StatesUnited States and Canada, where they could work and buy land in
frontier areas. Many went to the Midwest and Pacific Northwest. In
2006, according to the US Census Bureau, almost 4.7 million persons
identified as Norwegian Americans,[190] which was larger than the
population of ethnic
NorwegiansNorwegians in
NorwayNorway itself.[191] In the 2011
Canadian census, 452,705 Canadian citizens identified as having
Norwegian ancestry.[192]
Immigration
Main article:
ImmigrationImmigration to Norway
On 1 January 2013[update], the number of immigrants or children of two
immigrants residing in
NorwayNorway was 710,465, or 14.1% of the total
population,[184] up from 183,000 in 1992. Yearly immigration has
increased since 2005. While yearly net immigration in 2001–2005 was
on average 13,613, it increased to 37,541 between 2006 and 2010, and
in 2011 net immigration reached 47,032.[193] This is mostly because of
increased immigration by residents of the EU, in particular from
Poland.[194]
In 2012, the immigrant community (which includes immigrants and
children born in
NorwayNorway of immigrant parents) grew by 55,300, a record
high.[184] Net immigration from abroad reached 47,300 (300 higher than
in 2011), while immigration accounted for 72% of Norway's population
growth.[195] 17% of newborn children were born to immigrant
parents.[184] Children of Pakistani, Somali and Vietnamese parents
made up the largest groups of all
NorwegiansNorwegians born to immigrant
parents.[196]
Pakistani
NorwegiansNorwegians are the largest non-European minority group in
Norway. Most of their 32,700 members live in and around Oslo. The
Iraqi and Somali immigrant populations have increased significantly in
recent years. After the enlargement of the EU in 2004, a wave of
immigrants has arrived from Central and Northern Europe, particularly
Poland,
SwedenSweden and Lithuania. The fastest growing immigrant groups in
2011 in absolute numbers were from Poland,
LithuaniaLithuania and Sweden.[197]
The policies of immigration and integration have been the subject of
much debate in Norway.
Largest immigrant groups (1st and 2nd generation):[198]

National background
Population

Poland
97,196

Lithuania
37,638

Sweden
36,315

Somalia
28,696

Germany
24,601

Iraq
22,493

Syria
20,823

Philippines
20,537

Pakistan
19,973

Eritrea
19,957

Religion

This section may be too long to read and navigate comfortably. Please
consider splitting content into sub-articles, condensing it, or adding
or removing subheadings. (January 2018)

Most
NorwegiansNorwegians are registered at baptism as members of the Church of
Norway, which has been Norway's state church since its establishment.
In recent years the church has been granted increasing internal
autonomy, but it retains its special constitutional status and other
special ties to the state, and the constitution requires that the
reigning monarch must be a member and states that the country's values
are based on its Christian and humanist heritage. Many remain in the
church to participate in the community and practices such as baptism,
confirmation, marriage and burial rites. About 71.5% of Norwegians
were members of the
Church of NorwayChurch of Norway in 2016. In 2016, about 55.3% of
all newborns were baptised and about 60.0% of all 15-year-old persons
were confirmed in the church.[200]
In the early 1990s, studies estimated that between 4.7% and 5.3% of
NorwegiansNorwegians attended church on a weekly basis.[201] This figure has
dropped to about 2%.[202][203]
In 2010, 10% of the population was religiously unaffiliated, while
another 9%, were members of religious communities outside the Church
of Norway.[204] Other Christian denominations total about 4.9%[204] of
the population, the largest of which is the Roman Catholic Church,
with 83,000 members, according to 2009 government statistics.[205] The
AftenpostenAftenposten (Norwegian, The Evening Post) in October 2012 reported
there were about 115,234 registered Roman Catholics in Norway; the
reporter estimated that the total number of people with a Roman
Catholic background may be 170,000–200,000 or higher.[206]
Others include Pentecostals (39,600),[205] the Evangelical Lutheran
Free
Church of NorwayChurch of Norway (19,600),[205]
MethodistsMethodists (11,000),[205]
BaptistsBaptists (9,900),[205]
Eastern OrthodoxEastern Orthodox (9,900),[205] Brunstad
Christian Church (6,800),[205]
Seventh-day AdventistsSeventh-day Adventists (5,100),[205]
Assyrians and Chaldeans, and others. The Swedish, Finnish and
Icelandic
LutheranLutheran congregations in
NorwayNorway have about 27,500 members
in total.[205] Other Christian denominations comprise less than 1%
each, including 4,000 members in The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints and 12,000 Jehovah's Witnesses.[205]
Among non-Christian religions, Islam is the largest, with 132,135
registered members (2014), and probably fewer than 200,000 in
total.[207] It is practised mainly by Somali, Arab, Bosniak, Albanian
and Turkish immigrants, as well as
NorwegiansNorwegians of Pakistani descent.
Other religions comprise less than 1% each, including 819 adherents of
Judaism.[208] Indian immigrants introduced
HinduismHinduism to Norway, which
in 2011 has slightly more than 5,900 adherents, or 1% of non-Lutheran
Norwegians.[208]
SikhismSikhism has approximately 3,000 adherents, with most
living in Oslo, which has two gurdwaras. Sikhs first came to
NorwayNorway in
the early 1970s. The troubles in Punjab after
Operation Blue StarOperation Blue Star and
riots committed against Sikhs in
IndiaIndia after the assassination of
Indira Gandhi led to an increase in Sikh refugees moving to Norway.
DrammenDrammen also has a sizeable population of Sikhs; the largest gurdwara
in north
EuropeEurope was built in Lier. There are eleven Buddhist
organisations, grouped under the Buddhistforbundet organisation, with
slightly over 14,000 members,[208] which make up 0.2% of the
population. The Baha'i religion has slightly more than 1,000
adherents.[208] Around 1.7% (84,500) of
NorwegiansNorwegians belong to the
secular Norwegian Humanist Association.
From 2006 to 2011, the fastest-growing religious communities in Norway
were
Eastern OrthodoxEastern OrthodoxChristianityChristianity and Oriental Orthodox Christianity,
which grew in membership by 80%; however, their share of the total
population remains small, at 0.2%. It is associated with the huge
immigration from
EritreaEritrea and Ethiopia, and to a lesser extent from
Central and Eastern European and Middle Eastern countries. Other
fast-growing religions were the
Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic Church (78.7%),
HinduismHinduism (59.6%), Islam (48.1%), and
BuddhismBuddhism (46.7%).[209]
As in other Scandinavian countries, the ancient Norse followed a form
of native
Germanic paganismGermanic paganism known as Norse paganism. By the end of the
11th century, when
NorwayNorway had been Christianised, the indigenous Norse
religion and practices were prohibited. Remnants of the native
religion and beliefs of
NorwayNorway survive today in the form of names,
referential names of cities and locations, the days of the week, and
other parts of everyday language. Modern interest in the old ways has
led to a revival of pagan religious practices in the form of Åsatru.
The Norwegian Åsatrufellesskapet Bifrost formed in 1996; in 2011, the
fellowship had about 300 members. Foreningen Forn Sed was formed in
1999 and has been recognised by the Norwegian government.
The Sami minority retained their shamanistic religion well into the
18th century, when most converted to
ChristianityChristianity under the influence
of Dano-Norwegian
LutheranLutheran missionaries. Although some insist that
"indigenous Sami religion had effectively been eradicated,'[210]
athropologist Gutorm Gjessing's Changing Lapps (1954) argues that the
Samis "were outwardly and to all practical purposes converted to
Christianity, but at the subconscious and unconscious level, the
shamistic frenzy survived, more or less latent, only awaiting the
necessary stimulus to break out into the open."[211] Today there is a
renewed appreciation for the Sami traditional way of life, which has
led to a revival of Noaidevuohta.[212] Some Norwegian and Sami
celebrities are reported to visit shamans for guidance.[213][214]
According to the 2010 Eurobarometer Poll, 22% of Norwegian citizens
responded that "they believe there is a God", 44% responded that "they
believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 29% responded
that "they don't believe there is any sort of spirit, God or life
force". Five percent gave no response.[215]
Largest cities of Norway

v
t
e

Largest cities or towns in Norway
According to Statistics 2016

Rank
Name
County
Pop.
Rank
Name
County
Pop.

Oslo

Bergen
1
Oslo
Oslo
975,744
11
Moss
Østfold
46,158

Stavanger/Sandnes

Trondheim

2
Bergen
Hordaland
252,772
12
Haugesund
Rogaland
44,536

3
Stavanger/Sandnes
Rogaland
213,313
13
Sandefjord
Vestfold
43,222

4
Trondheim
Sør-Trøndelag
177,617
14
Arendal
Aust-Agder
42,788

5
Drammen
Buskerud
115,137
15
Bodø
Nordland
40,209

6
Fredrikstad/Sarpsborg
Østfold
109,907
16
Tromsø
Troms
34,283

7
Porsgrunn/Skien
Telemark
92,001
17
Hamar
Hedmark
26,828

8
Kristiansand
Vest-Agder
61,037
18
Halden
Østfold
25,113

9
Ålesund
Møre og Romsdal
51,474
19
Larvik
Vestfold
23,927

10
Tønsberg
Vestfold
51,061
20
Askøy
Hordaland
22,777

Education
Main article: Education in Norway

The main building of the Norwegian University of Science and
Technology in Trondheim

Higher education in NorwayHigher education in Norway is offered by a range of seven
universities, five specialised colleges, 25 university colleges as
well as a range of private colleges. Education follows the Bologna
Process involving Bachelor (3 years), Master (2 years) and PhD (3
years) degrees.[216] Acceptance is offered after finishing upper
secondary school with general study competence.
Public education is virtually free, regardless of nationality.[217]
The academic year has two semesters, from August to December and from
January to June. The ultimate responsibility for the education lies
with the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research.
Languages
Main article: Languages of Norway
See also:
Norwegian languageNorwegian language and Sami languages

Norwegian and Sami are the two official languages of
Norway.[218][219][220]
The North Germanic
Norwegian languageNorwegian language has two official written forms,
BokmålBokmål and Nynorsk. Both are used in public administration, schools,
churches, and media.
BokmålBokmål is the written language used by a large
majority of about 80–85%. Around 95% of the population speak
Norwegian as their first or native language, although many speak
dialects that may differ significantly from the written languages. All
Norwegian dialects are mutually intelligible, although listeners with
limited exposure to dialects other than their own may struggle to
understand certain phrases and pronunciations in some other dialects.
Several Uralic
Sami languagesSami languages are spoken and written throughout the
country, especially in the north, by some members of the Sami people.
(Estimates suggest that about one third of the Norwegian Sami speak a
Sami language.[221]) Speakers have a right to be educated and to
receive communication from the government in their own language in a
special forvaltningsområde (administrative area) for Sami
languages.[222][223] The Kven minority historically spoke the Uralic
Kven language (considered a separate language in Norway, but generally
perceived as a Finnish dialect in Finland). Today the majority of
ethnic Kven have little or no knowledge of the language. According to
the Kainun institutti, "The typical modern Kven is a
Norwegian-speaking Norwegian who knows his genealogy."[224] As Norway
has ratified the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
(ECRML) the
Kven language together with Romani and Scandoromani
language has become officially recognised minority
languages.[225][226]
Some supporters have also advocated making
Norwegian Sign Language an
official language of the country.[227][228]
In the 19th and 20th centuries, the
Norwegian languageNorwegian language was subject to
strong political and cultural controversies. This led to the
development of
NynorskNynorsk in the 19th century and to the formation of
alternative spelling standards in the 20th century.
Norwegian is similar to the other languages in Scandinavia: Swedish
and Danish. All three languages are to a degree mutually intelligible
and can be, and commonly are, employed in communication among
inhabitants of the Scandinavian countries. As a result of the
co-operation within the Nordic Council, inhabitants of all Nordic
countries, including
IcelandIceland and Finland, have the right to
communicate with Norwegian authorities in their own language.[citation
needed]
Students who are children of immigrant parents are encouraged to learn
the Norwegian language. The Norwegian government offers language
instructional courses for immigrants wishing to obtain Norwegian
citizenship. With increasing concern about assimilating immigrants,
since 1 September 2008, the government has required that an applicant
for Norwegian citizenship give evidence of proficiency in either
Norwegian or in one of the Sami languages, or give proof of having
attended classes in Norwegian for 300 hours, or meet the language
requirements for university studies in
NorwayNorway (that is, by being
proficient in one of the Scandinavian languages).
The primary foreign language taught in Norwegian schools is English,
considered an international language since the post-WWII era. The
majority of the population is fairly fluent in English, especially
those born after World War II. German, French and Spanish are also
commonly taught as second or, more often, third languages. Russian,
Japanese, Italian, Latin, and rarely Chinese (Mandarin) are offered in
some schools, mostly in the cities. Traditionally, English, German and
French were considered the main foreign languages in Norway. These
languages, for instance, were used on Norwegian passports until the
1990s, and university students have a general right to use these
languages when submitting their theses.
Culture
Main article: Culture of Norway

The Norwegian farm culture continues to play a role in contemporary
Norwegian culture. In the 19th century, it inspired a strong romantic
nationalistic movement, which is still visible in the Norwegian
language and media. Norwegian culture blossomed with nationalist
efforts to achieve an independent identity in the areas of literature,
art and music. This continues today in the performing arts and as a
result of government support for exhibitions, cultural projects and
artwork.[229]

Traditional Norwegian farmer's costumes, known as folkedrakt, and
modern costumes inspired by those costumes, known as bunad, are widely
used on special occasions.

Human rights
NorwayNorway has been considered a progressive country, which has adopted
legislation and policies to support women's rights, minority rights,
and LGBT rights. As early as 1884, 171 of the leading figures, among
them five Prime Ministers for the Liberal Party and the Conservative
Party, co-founded the Norwegian Association for Women's Rights.[230]
They successfully campaigned for women's right to education, women's
suffrage, the right to work, and other gender equality policies. From
the 1970s, gender equality also came high on the state agenda, with
the establishment of a public body to promote gender equality, which
evolved into the Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud. Civil
society organisations also continue to play an important role, and the
women's rights organisations are today organised in the Norwegian
Women's Lobby umbrella organisation.
In 1990, the Norwegian constitution was amended to grant absolute
primogeniture to the Norwegian throne, meaning that the eldest child,
regardless of gender, takes precedence in the line of succession. As
it was not retroactive, the current successor to the throne is the
eldest son of the King, rather than his eldest child. The Norwegian
constitution Article 6 states that "For those born before the year
1990 it shall...be the case that a male shall take precedence over a
female."[231]
The
Sami peopleSami people have for centuries been the subject of discrimination
and abuse by the dominant cultures in
ScandinaviaScandinavia and Russia, those
countries claiming possession of Sami lands.[232] The
Sami peopleSami people have
never been a single community in a single region of Lapland.[233]
NorwayNorway has been greatly criticised by the international community for
the politics of
Norwegianization of and discrimination against the
indigenous population of the country.[234] Nevertheless,
NorwayNorway was,
in 1990, the first country to recognise ILO-convention 169 on
indigenous people recommended by the UN.
In regard to LGBT rights,
NorwayNorway was the first country in the world to
enact an anti-discrimination law protecting the rights of gays and
lesbians. In 1993,
NorwayNorway became the second country to legalise civil
union partnerships for same-sex couples, and on 1 January 2009 Norway
became the sixth country to grant full marriage equality to same-sex
couples. As a promoter of human rights,
NorwayNorway has held the annual
OsloOslo Freedom Forum conference, a gathering described by The Economist
as "on its way to becoming a human-rights equivalent of the Davos
economic forum."[235]
Religion
Separation of church and stateSeparation of church and state happened significantly later in Norway
than in most of
EuropeEurope and is not yet complete. In 2012, the Norwegian
parliament voted to grant the
Church of NorwayChurch of Norway greater autonomy,[236]
a decision which was confirmed in a constitutional amendment on 21 May
2012.[237]
Until 2012 parliamentary officials were required to be members of the
Evangelical-
LutheranLutheran Church of Norway, and at least half of all
government ministers had to be a member of the state church. As state
church, the Church of Norway's clergy were viewed as state employees,
and the central and regional church administrations were part of the
state administration. Members of the Royal family are required to be
members of the
LutheranLutheran church. On 1 January 2017,
NorwayNorway made the
church independent of the state, but retained the Church's status as
the "people’s church".[238][239]
Cinema
Main article: Cinema of Norway
The Norwegian cinema has received international recognition. The
documentary film Kon-Tiki (1950) won an Academy Award. In 1959, Arne
Skouen's Nine Lives was nominated, but failed to win. Another notable
film is Flåklypa Grand Prix (English: Pinchcliffe Grand Prix), an
animated feature film directed by Ivo Caprino. The film was released
in 1975 and is based on characters from Norwegian cartoonist Kjell
Aukrust. It is the most widely seen Norwegian film of all time.
Nils Gaup's Pathfinder (1987), the story of the Sami, was nominated
for an Oscar. Berit Nesheim's
The Other Side of Sunday was nominated
for an Oscar in 1997.
Since the 1990s, the film industry has thrived, producing up to 20
feature films each year. Particular successes were Kristin
Lavransdatter, based on a novel by a Nobel Prize winner; The
Telegraphist and Gurin with the Foxtail.
Knut Erik JensenKnut Erik Jensen was among
the more successful new directors, together with Erik Skjoldbjærg,
who is remembered for Insomnia.[240]
The country has also been used as filming location for several
Hollywood and other international productions, including The Empire
Strikes Back (1980), for which the producers used Hardangerjøkulen
glacier as a filming location for scenes of the ice planet Hoth. It
included a memorable battle in the snow. The films Die Another Day,
The Golden Compass,
Spies Like UsSpies Like Us and Heroes of Telemark, as well as
the TV series
LilyhammerLilyhammer and Vikings also had scenes set in
Norway.[241] A short film, The Spirit of
NorwayNorway was featured at
Maelstrom at
NorwayNorway Pavilion at
EpcotEpcot located within Walt Disney World
Resort in Florida in the United States. The attraction and the film
ceased their operations on 5 October 2014.
Music
Main article: Music of Norway

Edvard Grieg, composer and pianist

The classical music of the romantic composers Edvard Grieg, Rikard
Nordraak and
Johan SvendsenJohan Svendsen is internationally known, as is the modern
music of Arne Nordheim. Norway's classical performers include Leif Ove
Andsnes, one of the world's more famous pianists; Truls Mørk, an
outstanding cellist; and the great Wagnerian soprano Kirsten Flagstad.
Norwegian black metal, a form of rock music in Norway, has been an
influence in world music since the late 20th century. Since the 1990s,
Norway's export of black metal, a lo-fi, dark and raw form of heavy
metal, has been developed by such bands as Emperor, Darkthrone,
Gorgoroth, Mayhem, Burzum, and Immortal. More recently bands such as
Enslaved, Kvelertak,
Dimmu BorgirDimmu Borgir and
SatyriconSatyricon have evolved the genre
into the present day while still garnering worldwide fans.
Controversial events associated with the black metal movement in the
early 1990s included several church burnings and two prominent murder
cases.
The jazz scene in
NorwayNorway is thriving. Jan Garbarek, Terje Rypdal, Mari
Boine, Arild Andersen, and
Bugge WesseltoftBugge Wesseltoft are internationally
recognised while Paal Nilssen-Love, Supersilent,
Jaga JazzistJaga Jazzist and
Wibutee are becoming world-class artists of the younger
generation.[242]

NorwayNorway has a strong folk music tradition which remains popular to this
day.[243] Among the most prominent folk musicians are Hardanger
fiddlers Andrea Een,
Olav Jørgen Hegge and Annbjørg Lien, and the
vocalists Agnes Buen Garnås,
Kirsten Bråten Berg and Odd Nordstoga.
Other internationally recognised bands are A-ha, Röyksopp,
Ylvis.[244]
A-haA-ha initially rose to global fame during the mid-1980s.
In the 1990s and 2000s, the group maintained its popularity
domestically, and has remained successful outside Norway, especially
in Germany, Switzerland, France, and Brazil.
Some of the most memorable female solo artists from
NorwayNorway are Astrid
S, Adelén, Julie Bergan, Maria Mena, Tone Damli, Margaret Berger,
Lene Marlin, Christel Alsos, Maria Arredondo,
Lene NystrømLene Nystrøm vocalist
of the popular Danish dance band Aqua and
Marion RavenMarion Raven & Marit
Larsen both former members of the defunct pop-rock band M2M.
In recent years, various Norwegian songwriters and production teams
have contributed to the music of other international artists. The
Norwegian production team Stargate has produced songs for Rihanna,
Beyoncé, Shakira,
Jennifer LopezJennifer Lopez and Lionel Richie, among others.
Espen LindEspen Lind has written and produced songs for Beyoncé, Lionel Richie
and Leona Lewis, among others.
Lene MarlinLene Marlin has written songs for
RihannaRihanna and Lovebugs.
Ina WroldsenIna Wroldsen has written songs for artists such
as Demi Lovato, Shakira, Inna, Sophie Ellis-Bextor,
One DirectionOne Direction and
The SaturdaysThe Saturdays among others.
NorwayNorway enjoys many music festivals throughout the year, all over the
country.
NorwayNorway is the host of one of the world's biggest extreme
sport festivals with music, Ekstremsportveko—a festival held
annually in Voss.
OsloOslo is the host of many festivals, such as
Øyafestivalen and by:Larm.
OsloOslo used to have a summer parade similar
to the German Love Parade. In 1992, the city of
OsloOslo wanted to adopt
the French music festival Fête de la Musique. Fredrik Carl Størmer
established the festival. Even in its first year, "Musikkens Dag"
gathered thousands of people and artists in the streets of Oslo.
"Musikkens Dag" is now renamed Musikkfest Oslo.
Literature
Main article: Norwegian literature
See also: List of Norwegian writers

Knut Hamsun, author

The history of
Norwegian literatureNorwegian literature starts with the pagan Eddaic poems
and skaldic verse of the 9th and 10th centuries, with poets such as
Bragi Boddason and Eyvindr skáldaspillir. The arrival of Christianity
around the year 1000 brought
NorwayNorway into contact with European
mediaeval learning, hagiography and history writing. Merged with
native oral tradition and Icelandic influence, this influenced the
literature written in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. Major
works of that period include Historia Norwegiæ,
ÞiðrekssagaÞiðrekssaga and
Konungs skuggsjá.
Little
Norwegian literatureNorwegian literature came out of the period of the Scandinavian
Union and the subsequent Dano-Norwegian union (1387–1814), with some
notable exceptions such as
Petter DassPetter Dass and Ludvig Holberg. In his play
Peer Gynt, Ibsen characterised this period as "Twice two hundred years
of darkness/brooded o'er the race of monkeys." The first line of this
couplet is frequently quoted. During the union with Denmark, the
government imposed using only written Danish, which decreased the
writing of Norwegian literature.

Henrik Ibsen

Two major events precipitated a major resurgence in Norwegian
literature: in 1811 a Norwegian university was established in
Christiania. Secondly, seized by the spirit of revolution following
the American and French revolutions, the
NorwegiansNorwegians created their
first Constitution in 1814. Strong authors were inspired who became
recognised first in Scandinavia, and then worldwide; among them were
Henrik Wergeland, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen,
Jørgen MoeJørgen Moe and Camilla
Collett.
By the late 19th century, in the
Golden AgeGolden Age of Norwegian literature,
the so-called "Great Four" emerged: Henrik Ibsen, Bjørnstjerne
Bjørnson, Alexander Kielland, and Jonas Lie. Bjørnson's "peasant
novels", such as Ein glad gut (A Happy Boy) and Synnøve Solbakken,
are typical of the
Norwegian romantic nationalismNorwegian romantic nationalism of their day.
Kielland's novels and short stories are mostly naturalistic. Although
an important contributor to early romantic nationalism, (especially
Peer Gynt),
Henrik IbsenHenrik Ibsen is better known for his pioneering realistic
dramas such as
The Wild DuckThe Wild Duck and A Doll's House. They caused an uproar
because of his candid portrayals of the middle classes, complete with
infidelity, unhappy marriages, and corrupt businessmen.
In the 20th century, three Norwegian novelists were awarded the Nobel
Prize in Literature:
Bjørnstjerne BjørnsonBjørnstjerne Bjørnson in 1903,
Knut HamsunKnut Hamsun for
the book Markens grøde ("Growth of the Soil") in 1920, and Sigrid
Undset (known for Kristinlavransdatter) in 1928. Writers such as the
following also made important contributions: Dag Solstad, Jon Fosse,
Cora Sandel, Olav Duun, Olav H. Hauge, Gunvor Hofmo, Stein Mehren,
Kjell Askildsen, Hans Herbjørnsrud, Aksel Sandemose, Bergljot Hobæk
Haff, Jostein Gaarder, Erik Fosnes Hansen, Jens Bjørneboe, Kjartan
Fløgstad, Lars Saabye Christensen, Johan Borgen, Herbjørg Wassmo,
Jan Erik Vold, Rolf Jacobsen, Olaf Bull, Jan Kjærstad, Georg
Johannesen, Tarjei Vesaas, Sigurd Hoel, Arnulf Øverland, Karl Ove
Knausgård and Johan Falkberget.
Research
Internationally recognised Norwegian scientists include the
mathematicians Niels Henrik Abel,
Sophus LieSophus Lie and Atle Selberg,
physical chemist Lars Onsager, physicist Ivar Giaever, chemists Odd
Hassel, Peter Waage, and Cato Maximilian Guldberg.
In the 20th century, Norwegian academics have been pioneering in many
social sciences, including criminology, sociology and peace and
conflict studies. Prominent academics include Arne Næss, a
philosopher and founder of deep ecology; Johan Galtung, the founder of
peace studies;
Nils ChristieNils Christie and Thomas Mathiesen, criminologists;
Fredrik Barth, a social anthropologist; Vilhelm Aubert, Harriet Holter
and Erik Grønseth, sociologists; Tove Stang Dahl, a pioneer of
women's law; Stein Rokkan, a political scientist; and economists
Ragnar Frisch, Trygve Haavelmo, and Finn E. Kydland.
In 2014, the two Norwegian scientists
May-Britt MoserMay-Britt Moser and Edvard Moser
won the
Nobel Prize in Physiology or MedicineNobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine along with John O'Keefe.
They won the prize for their groundbreaking work identifying the cells
that make up a positioning system in the human brain, our "in-built
GPS".[245]
Architecture
Main article: Architecture of Norway

With expansive forests,
NorwayNorway has long had a tradition of building in
wood. Many of today's most interesting new buildings are made of wood,
reflecting the strong appeal that this material continues to hold for
Norwegian designers and builders.[246]

With Norway's conversion to
ChristianityChristianity some 1,000 years ago,
churches were built. Stonework architecture was introduced from Europe
for the most important structures, beginning with the construction of
NidarosNidaros Cathedral in Trondheim. In the early Middle Ages, wooden stave
churches were constructed throughout Norway. Some of them have
survived; they represent Norway's most unusual contribution to
architectural history. A fine example,
Urnes Stave ChurchUrnes Stave Church in inner
Sognefjord, is on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Another notable
example of wooden architecture is the buildings at
BryggenBryggen Wharf in
Bergen, also on the list for World Cultural Heritage sites, consisting
of a row of tall, narrow wooden structures along the quayside.

The 17th-century town of Røros, designated in 1980 as a
UNESCOUNESCO World
Heritage Site, has narrow streets and wooden houses.

In the 17th century, under the Danish monarchy, cities and villages
such as
KongsbergKongsberg and
RørosRøros were established. The city[which?] had a
church built in the Baroque style. Traditional wooden buildings that
were constructed in
RørosRøros have survived.
After Norway's union with
DenmarkDenmark was dissolved in 1814,
OsloOslo became
the capital. The architect Christian H. Grosch designed the earliest
parts of the University of Oslo, the
OsloOslo Stock Exchange, and many
other buildings and churches constructed in that early national
period.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the city of
ÅlesundÅlesund was rebuilt
in the
Art NouveauArt Nouveau style, influenced by styles of France. The 1930s,
when functionalism dominated, became a strong period for Norwegian
architecture. It is only since the late 20th century that Norwegian
architects have achieved international renown. One of the most
striking modern buildings in
NorwayNorway is the Sami Parliament in
Kárášjohka, designed by Stein Halvorson and Christian Sundby. Its
debating chamber, in timber, is an abstract version of a lavvo, the
traditional tent used by the nomadic Sami people.[247]
Art
Main article: Norwegian art

For an extended period, the
Norwegian artNorwegian art scene was dominated by
artwork from
GermanyGermany and Holland as well as by the influence of
Copenhagen. It was in the 19th century that a truly Norwegian era
began, first with portraits, later with impressive landscapes. Johan
Christian Dahl (1788–1857), originally from the Dresden school,
eventually returned to paint the landscapes of western Norway,
defining Norwegian painting for the first time."[248]
Norway's newly found independence from
DenmarkDenmark encouraged painters to
develop their Norwegian identity, especially with landscape painting
by artists such as Kitty Kielland, a female painter who studied under
Hans Gude, and Harriet Backer, another pioneer among female artists,
influenced by impressionism. Frits Thaulow, an impressionist, was
influenced by the art scene in Paris as was Christian Krohg, a realist
painter, famous for his paintings of prostitutes.[249]
Of particular note is Edvard Munch, a symbolist/expressionist painter
who became world-famous for
The ScreamThe Scream which is said to represent the
anxiety of modern man.
Other artists of note include Harald Sohlberg, a neo-romantic painter
remembered for his paintings of Røros, and Odd Nerdrum, a figurative
painter who maintains that his work is not art, but kitsch.
Cuisine
Main article: Norwegian cuisine
Norway's culinary traditions show the influence of long seafaring and
farming traditions, with salmon (fresh and cured), herring (pickled or
marinated), trout, codfish, and other seafood, balanced by cheeses
(such as brunost), dairy products, and breads (predominantly
dark/darker).
LefseLefse is a Norwegian potato flatbread, usually topped with large
amounts of butter and sugar, most common around Christmas. Some
traditional Norwegian dishes include lutefisk, smalahove, pinnekjøtt,
raspeball, and fårikål.[250]
Sports

Sports are a central part of Norwegian culture, and popular sports
include association football, biathlon, cross-country skiing, ski
jumping, speed skating, and, to a lesser degree, ice hockey and
handball.
Association footballAssociation football is the most popular sport in
NorwayNorway in terms of
active membership. In 2014-2015 polling, football ranked far behind
biathlon and cross-country skiing in terms of popularity as spectator
sports.[251]
Ice hockeyIce hockey is the biggest indoor sport.[252] The women's
handball national team has won several titles, including two Summer
Olympics championships (2008, 2012), three World Championships (1999,
2011, 2015), and six European Championship (1998, 2004, 2006, 2008,
2010, 2014).
The Norwegian national football team has participated three times in
the
FIFA World CupFIFA World Cup (1938, 1994, 1998), and once in the European
Championship (2000). The highest
FIFAFIFA ranking
NorwayNorway has achieved is
2nd, a position it has held twice, in 1993 and in 1995.[253]
ChessChess is also gaining popularity in Norway.
Magnus CarlsenMagnus Carlsen is the
current world champion.[254] There are about 10 Grandmasters and 29
International MastersInternational Masters in Norway.

^ The Spitsbergen
TreatyTreaty (also known as the
SvalbardSvalbard Treaty) of 9
February 1920 recognises Norway's full and absolute sovereignty over
the arctic archipelago of Spitsbergen (now called Svalbard).[11]

Norway.no, Norway's official portal
NorwayNorway at Curlie (based on DMOZ)
Statistics Norway
State of the Environment Norway
"Norway". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency.
NorwayNorway entry at Encyclopædia Britannica
NorwayNorway from UCB Libraries GovPubs
NorwayNorway profile from the
BBCBBC News
Norway.info, official foreign portal of the Norwegian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs
Wikimedia Atlas of Norway
Geographic data related to
NorwayNorway at OpenStreetMap
Official facts about Norway
VisitNorway.com, official travel guide to Norway.
vifanord – a digital library that provides scientific information on
the Nordic and Baltic countries as well as the Baltic region as a
whole.
About
NorwayNorway in Hebrew
National Anthem of
NorwayNorway on YouTube
Key Development Forecasts for
NorwayNorway from International Futures
World BankWorld Bank Summary Trade Statistics Norway

1 Oceanic islands within the vicinity of
EuropeEurope are usually grouped
with the continent even though they are not situated on its
continental shelf.
2 Some countries completely outside the conventional geographical
boundaries of
EuropeEurope are commonly associated with the continent due to
ethnological links.

International organizations

v
t
e

Council of Europe

Institutions

Secretary General
Committee of Ministers
Parliamentary Assembly
Congress
Court of Human Rights
Commissioner for Human Rights
Commission for the Efficiency of Justice
Commission against Racism and Intolerance